Sirens of the Sea
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Sirens are the enchanting stuff of myth and legend...or are they? Is Captain Jack Sparrow ready for a shocking bit of reality, as well as the possibility of love?
1. A History of the Sirens of the Sea

Disclaimer: I tried to steal Jack away from the Disney lawyers, but they stole him back…damn it.

AN: Here is my newest Pirates fic! Sorry, no love scenes in this story, just PG or PG-13, depending on how violent I want it to get. I hope you enjoy it, because I'm going to enjoy writing it. Also, this is _not_ a feminist story of any sort (though it can be if you want it to, in your mind). It's for fun and for the sake of a good (made up) storyline, but that's it! Now sit back and enjoy the fic!

**Chapter 1: A History of the Sirens of the Sea**:

Almost everyone who hears about the creatures known as the Sirens assumes that they are only a myth, a tale of female beings that sing sailors to their deaths. Some believe that they lure men amid deadly rocky shores for the sake of their own pleasure, or as ordered upon them by the Gods of old forgotten days. However, nearly all of these tales have been twisted and changed by the lips of men, who are known for making things far more extraordinary and very different from what they truly are.

In truth, the Sirens are not mystical creatures with human heads and animal bodies, or sporting demon horns upon their heads. Instead, they are full-blooded _women_ with the voices of angels, voices which sing out a warning to whomever and whatever ship they happen to meet…for the Sirens of the Sea are not ordinary women, but are in fact a vast fleet of female pirates. Targeting unsuspecting ships, the Sirens always let a ship know when they are coming to raid, plunder, or seek revenge, just so the captains of said ships know who it is they are fighting against.

In a world ruled by men, it is no wonder that many have not heard of them as the great pirates they are. Throughout time men have long tried to suppress the myths about these magnificent women, and the fact that many male captains had been defeated by a band of formidable female fighters puts the men to shame. So, to save face in history, men have changed the image of the Sirens of the Sea into a terrifying, yet somewhat unbelievable, myth.

But not all things about the Sirens are spun from thin air. It is true that their voices, while beautiful and wonderful to listen to, bring the possibility of death, but it is only to those who deserve it; so are the beliefs of the Sirens, stemming back thousands of years ago to their founding.

Long ago, in the time of the ancient civilizations of the Greeks, a lone woman called Althea was born into a wealthy Greek merchant house full of uncles, brothers, and male cousins. For as long as she could remember, she had lived by the blue waters and longed to sail the seas as her kinsmen did. While her relatives drank wine and feasted at night, she quietly snuck away to the shores to watch the sailors at their tasks, singing quietly to herself as she studied their movements and their tasks. Her songs had no words, but they spoke of her feelings, and as she watched the sailors at the docks, her songs were always ones full of longing.

One night, as she watched and sang, a hand reached out and grabbed her by the throat, causing her to loose her breath and faint. She next awoke in a cage, surrounded by other captive women who had also been taken unawares. Angry and unable to free herself from the cage and chains imprisoning her, Althea sang songs of revenge to herself and to her fellow slaves, who eagerly took up the songs and used them as a form of comfort to themselves. One day, as they were being shipped to a foreign slave market, Althea managed to sneak a thin strip of metal into her ragged clothes to be used during just the right moment of their voyage.

When they had been at sea for several days, Althea revealed the strip of metal to the others, and the women secretly freed themselves from their bonds, quietly waiting for nightfall to make their escape. Many held grudges against their present masters for the torment they had been put through, and were intent on revenge. After night had fallen and the men had drifted into sleep, the women slipped out of their cage and moved through the ship, and quietly killing the men who had so brutally harmed them, leaving few survivors. The only men who had been spared were those who the women believed knew the most about fighting, trading, and sailing, and it was with these men that the women used to obtain the skills to survive the harshness of the sea.

At first, the ship full of women sailors had no name, but all agreed that Althea would be their leader, as she had been the success and hope behind their new freedom. Accepting the leadership, she gave the women under her command the bravery it took to never submit to another, no matter the circumstance. Her beautiful voice could be heard singing from all points of the ship, bringing joy to her crew as their captured male sailors taught them to fight, sail, trade, and even how to loot other ships. Life had become good for them, and they had no desire to return home and be ruled by any others than themselves. They were free to do as they pleased, and they lived the lives that had been denied to them.

As time passed, the women felt the need to pass on this sense of freedom to others, and went in search of women they felt worthy of their cause. One night, Althea captained the ship into a small Greek port, careful to avoid confrontations with the men of other ships, and the few men onboard her ship were sent off with a female companion to search for more crewmembers. However, one of the men had dared to attempt his freedom from the 'witches' who had captured him, and had killed her without a second thought, escaping into the night. One of her 'sisters' found her before dawn and ran to tell the others about what had happened the night before.

Althea was furious by the news, but had not the means to track down the murderer of her beloved crewmate, and decided to name their group after their departed sister, Serena. After that, they became the Sirens, their hearts full of anger with the unjust acts done upon them and their companion. Once they left the port, Althea taught the crewwomen aboard a wordless song that spoke of sadness and loss, and as they sailed away, their song echoed across the sea and into the harbor. Those who heard the song became both frightened and moved, and believed the song to be made by unhappy spirits of the night. For years afterwards, few dared to leave their homes at night, for fear of encountering the source of the song.

Only one man dared to stay out that night, and when the last note of song had faded from the harbor, the escaped sailor ran to the nearest public place and blurted out his tale. People laughed and claimed he was ill, as they believed that no woman would ever be strong enough to defeat a man and capture a ship. The sailor spent the remainder of his life pleading for other to listen to him and to save the other men aboard the vessel, but none listened until his final days, when the Sirens began to turn away from living off the sea and had turned towards pillaging other ships for their needs. The few men who lived to tell the tales about their destroyed ships were all deemed mad, especially when they said that a ship crewed by women with the voices of goddesses had sang them to their destruction.

These tales were greatly changed and exaggerated over time, and men either listened to the stories or pushed them aside as myth. However, quite a number of sailors could be found telling stories about their encounters with the Sirens who had robbed and possibly destroyed their ships. Of course, not wanting to admit that they had actually been beaten by women, they told fantastic tales of creatures with human heads and bird or animal bodies to cover their hurt prides. Upon hearing these tales, some adventurers searched for the Sirens as a means of entertainment, and many returned empty-handed. Others, those who had succeeded in finding what they sought, became eternal prisoners onboard the Siren ship.

In her last years of life, Althea realized that one ship was not enough for the needs of her growing crew, some of which had begun to create families with the male prisoners they had taken. She then ordered for her crew to take ships whole and not to destroy them as they had previously done. All too soon, Althea was captain of a small fleet of ships that obeyed her every command, rule, and condition. When she died, her fleet was ten ships strong, and growing.

After the death of their legendary leader, the Siren fleet agreed to uphold the beliefs that Althea had held and had engraved onto their hearts: no man ruled them, and the freedom of the sea was theirs. Their voices were impressive and struck fear into men, and whether they believed it or not, they were more powerful then they seemed. After Althea's funeral, a council consisting of the captains from each ship agreed that the fleet would be far too great to keep together, and decided that they would explore the world on their own, seeking out new experiences and helping women they felt deserved it.

However, the Siren captains also agreed that they needed a place to officially call "_home_," a place to hold in their hearts and to return to whenever they felt the need to reunite with friends, or even blood-sisters, that had desired to travel upon different ships. So, it is said that they dwell on an island from which no male sailor, whether he arrives as captive or shipwreck, leaves alive or without the consent of the Sirens themselves. Aria, the Island of the Sirens, founded thousands of years in the past as a home for those women who desired freedom, a safe haven from the world of men for fear of discovery and death.

It is said Aria is an island not located on any map, and is protected by large rocky barrier reefs, keeping the island from ever being touched by the hands of men. The island itself is in the shape of a crescent moon, and several miles long. Surrounding the entire island are the reefs that naturally formed over the eons, providing natural protection against invasion. By pure luck and the extremely good skills of a female captain, the Sirens somehow managed to sail safely through the reefs, and can easily come and go from the isle as they please with little difficulty. Lush plants and wildlife abound everywhere, and exotic flowers provide herbs for food and medicines. Although no one knows how the Sirens located the island, it is said they were thoroughly pleased with their finding, and the captains of the Siren fleet brought wood from destroyed ships and built their first town.

There are no names for the towns on the island, except for the first founding site, which rests in the center of the crescent moon-shaped bay, which the Sirens called Althea, after their first leader. Upon building the first homes of Althea, the captains attempted to decide whom to leave behind to guard and protect the island, deciding to leave behind primarily those who could be spared and those who wished to remain there. Mostly it consisted of young women who wished to raise their children (especially girl-children) on land until they were old enough to learn how to sail. The Elders, those women who were too old to earn their keep on the ships, were given places to live and were well-provided for, as their wisdom was valuable, and were asked to be the ruling council on Aria.

After deciding which women to leave behind, there was a debate about the men, both captured and willing. Willing men were those taken aboard as slaves but had fallen in love with one Siren and wedded her without a second thought, pledging his life to the rules and ways of the Sirens. These men were given the choice of following their wives, whether it be on their sea voyages or raising their children on land until they were of sea-faring age. Captured men were just that: slaves who would as soon kill a Siren rather than bond with them, often cursing their captors and threatening the those who had taken them prisoner.

It was the captured men that posed the most difficult problems for the Sirens when considering the safety of Aria. They were fortunate that these men were few, and it was decided that the unwilling men who knew nothing about the secret Island of the Sirens were to be set free in small isolated towns, as far away from Aria as possible. Those who knew too much, however, were to be kept in the central town of Althea, forbidden from ever leaving. If they accepted their fate and chose to marry a Siren, they could do so, but should they prove difficult, then they would be kept separate from the other men so as not to implant the thought of rebellion among those faithful to the Sirens.

As the centuries passed, those men who dwelled on the Island and were against the Sirens died off, leaving behind only those who truly cared about the women who had captured them body and soul through their song. Eventually, those men who wished to see more of the world (but were unattached) were set free, though they were forbidden to ever speak about the Sirens or their Island. They were given no bearings for the location of the Island, and if they desired to return, they would have to seek out the Sirens for permission to return. The only condition for returning was to stay on the island forever.

Few men left, but they in turn became sources for information on the goings on in the world. Also, to prove themselves useful and faithful to the Sirens, they became useful for other resources, usually through their chosen trades. Those who were blacksmiths provided swords and weapons, merchants sold them food and cloths (at low prices, of course), and traders traded for all manner of things a small lone island could not provide for itself. The descendants of these men loyal to the Sirens soon became as good a group of informants as any royal spymaster, but were far more faithful and clever. They also encouraged the idea that the Sirens were nothing more than a myth made up by drunken sailors, enabling the Sirens to plunder without fear of being hunted down since no one believed they existed.

Time pressed forward once more, and the Sirens became far more clever at getting what they wanted. Treasures were one thing, but that sort of thing they held in abundance from raids. No, they desired more knowledge of the world and how it worked, and wanted to expand their minds in different ways then the ones they presently knew and learned from. So they pressed eastwards, away from the European continent they already knew so well and into India and Asia, where they found some of the more unique ways of fighting, trading, and wisdom.

China was a particular favorite, mostly for their fighting skills and the women that were so miserable with their lives in the Empire. Many women eagerly left the homes where they were considered useless and joined the Sirens, happy to show them the sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat that they had seen their men use in war and at home. The Chinese women were also happy to teach the stories of their culture, mainly the ones that were performed in song and dance. The Sirens of the West were enchanted by this, and immediately taught these new things to any of the sister-ships that passed by. The piercing, heart-rending songs of the East were soon used as a means of mourning the dead or announcing death upon a ship that the Sirens deemed worthy of such punishment.

Once again, centuries passed, and as the powers of kings grew, so did the Sirens' desire for power. Those who disliked the sea (and there _were_ such women) were chosen and sent to places where their marriage to men would do some good for the Sirens' benefit. Some were 'rescued' from 'dangerous situations' by male captains, while others managed to work their way up into the Royal Courts of kings and emperors. None actually married into royalty (as it would attract unwanted attention to the Sirens), but stayed mainly in all other levels of society. These Sirens within society were able to sneak information and warnings to their sisters, and often formed alliances with wealthy and influential merchant companies, as well as individual ships, strengthening the Sirens' unique and secret hold on the seafarers.

And so continues the exciting livelihood of the Sirens of the Sea. For thousands of years these women have secretly ruled the waves, frightening those who believe in their myth and petrifying sailors who hear their voices in the night. Now, as the seventeenth century rolls onwards, one particular Siren will have the encounter of a lifetime, and a pirate of the ocean will discover things he never dreamed existed in the realm of reality.

* * *

AN: Kind of a short chapter, but a _lot_ of important stuff going on. Please let me know what you think of the chapter and the plot…even though you don't really know where I'm going with this yet (laughs evilly). Please review! 


	2. Visit to Port Royal

Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so I don't own him.

AN: I love reviewers, they're so funny sometimes! Some were confused and thought I was on drugs when I said that the previous chapter was '_short_.' I meant that it was shorter than the amount I usually write, that's all. I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter, though; it took me forever to write out the darn thing correctly! Anyway, sit back and enjoy the chapter, featuring Captain Jack Sparrow!

**Chapter 2: Visit to Port Royal**:

_The Black Pearl: Jack's POV_:

Groaning, Jack rolled over in his bed and tried to ignore the screaming coming from outside his door.

"Jack, if you don't get out here and take the helm, there'll be hell to pay!"

Another groan exploded from Jack's dry lips. He really should have stopped at three bottles of rum last night, but when Samuels had proposed a drinking contest, who was he to refuse? Presently, Jack couldn't remember exactly how many bottles of rum he'd consumed the night before, but he knew that he'd won by a landslide. Smiling at his triumph, Jack managed to enjoy his victory for only a few seconds before the same feminine voice came through the door.

"Don't think I don't mean it, Sparrow! I swear I'll come in there and kick you out of that bed if you don't get out here _right now_!"

'_I swear that Annamaria's voice gets more piercing every day_,' Jack thought to himself as he pulled a pillow over his head, attempting to muffle the sounds from outside. '_That woman's voice isn't helping my hangover any_.'

Through the pillow, Jack could hear the stomp of boots leaving the helm and coming towards the door of his cabin. It was at that point that he knew that his peaceful moments were numbered, and that he'd better haul himself out of bed before Anna actually came in here and (literally) kicked his ass out of bed. Throwing his hungover self out of bed and pulling on his pants, shirt, and boots, Jack stretched for a quick moment and stood up, trying not to wince at the headache pounding behind his eyes. He'd just made it to the door at the same time Anna did, so, swinging the door open, his brown eyes clashed with those of a very impatient and fairly surprised first mate.

"Well it's about time!" she huffed. "We need you up at the helm to direct us to that hidden bay near Port Royal!"

Jack blinked. "Are we there already?" he asked, fairly surprised that they'd gotten to their destination so quickly.

Anna rolled her eyes. "You've been passed out in your cabin for more than a day, Sparrow," she said. "At least you're up sooner than Samuels, he's sleeping like the dead. The next time you decide to take a bet on who can drink the most, try not to do it when we get close to Navy territory, got it?"

"As you wish, Annamaria," he said, pressing his palms together and bowing. He heard her sniff disdainfully before stalking towards her own cabin.

Extremely glad that he'd managed to avoid getting slapped (or worse), Jack pulled on his effects, set his hat on his head, and headed out on deck. As the harsh sunlight of the Caribbean hit his eyes, Jack was happy to see that everyone doing their chores. Crewmen scurried around the deck, securing ropes, keeping a sharp eye out for enemy ships, or swabbing the deck. Others were likely below deck, keeping the cannons in good firing order or were in the galley, getting everything ready for the crew's next meal. A small snarl emanated from his abdomen.

'_Speaking of meals_.'

Jack's stomach growled and complained at him, demanding to be filled _at once_ to make up for the past day or so he'd spent in bed, getting over his hangover. Smiling to himself, he turned and headed towards the doors leading to the galley and all the tasty things that lay within. Twenty minutes later, Jack emerged full and with only a small, dull ache in his head. With all distractions taken care of, he eagerly swaggered up to the helm and relieved Mr. Gibbs of the task, the wheel fitting perfectly to his hands and the Pearl swaying gently beneath his feet.

Taking a deep breath, Jack savored the smell of the sea and air, reveling in the freedom that it promised him and his crew. '_A pity the Whelp decided to stay on land_ _and get married_,' Jack thought sadly to himself.

The son of his best friend, Bootstrap Bill, deserved to live a life of freedom and adventure, not be tied down to a blacksmith job and a wife. Not that Jack had anything against landlubbers or blacksmiths, but pirate was in the lad's blood…he should have at least had a few years to taste what the ocean had to offer before settling down! And yet, there he was, William Turner, husband to the Governor's daughter! Bootstrap would have never believed his eyes, were he around today. Still, he would have been proud of his boy, especially after having helped Jack rid the Pearl of the curse three years ago.

'_Which reminds me, I got to get them a gift_.'

Jack mentally kicked himself. Not only had he been nearly late to the Turner's wedding over two years prior, but he'd also managed to forget to get them a wedding gift! Elizabeth had been quick to forgive him, but both Jack and Will had seen the angry glint in her eye when she offered Jack the invitation to visit any time he wanted. Jack, being the clever man that he was, could clearly see that the invitation gave him _one last chance_ to redeem himself in the gift-giving department, and if he failed, well…he certainly didn't want to deal with an angry Elizabeth Turner!

Mentally going over the latest treasures the Black Pearl had acquired, Jack came up with at least three bits of treasure to give the spunky Mrs. Turner as a wedding gift, as well as a birthday gift that would be perfect for the event coming up in a few weeks (which he hopefully wouldn't be here for, as he didn't want to have a meeting with the delightful Commodore just yet). Unfortunately, Jack didn't quite know what the spunky lass liked, so he'd have to take all three and get the Whelp's advice on his wife's likes and dislikes.

Sighing, Jack turned his attention back towards sailing the Pearl into a special hidden cove on the other side of Jamaica, out of sight of the British Navy.

* * *

_Four Hours Later: Jack's POV_:

After securing the Pearl (and making sure that Gibbs and Annamaria were ready for any sort of situation involving the Navy), Jack quickly made his way through the thick green foliage towards Port Royal. It wasn't an easy or pleasant walk, but as long as he wasn't seen by the Navy, that was all that mattered. A small branch hit his forehead, and Jack sighed. It was going to be a long day…

* * *

_Port Royal, Nerissa's POV_:

"For goodness sakes, Lizzie, you look fine!" Nerissa said, trying not to roll her eyes in annoyance.

Elizabeth turned to look at her. "Do you really think so? The pink isn't too much?"

The darker-haired girl sighed and rolled her eyes. "Elizabeth, you know William is going to love you no matter what you wear to dinner tonight," she answered, smiling at her younger cousin.

As much as she loved Elizabeth, Nerissa Fox still wanted to roll her eyes every single time she asked if Will would be impressed with one gown or another. Only one word came to mind whenever the younger woman asked questions like these: _newlyweds_. Honestly, they'd been married for nearly two years and they _still_ act as though the wedding had happened yesterday! They still stared at one another from across the table, as though they were the only two people in the world, frequently overlooking the fact that a guest was currently staying in their home for the next several months.

'_Perhaps I should ask Uncle to let me stay at his mansion instead_,' Nerissa thought to herself.

Her uncle had asked (practically begged) his beloved niece to stay with him, but she had wanted to stay with Elizabeth. Nerissa had thought that her cousin, despite being four years younger, would be a rather fun companion and that they could catch up on the time and events that had passed since her departure from England over ten years before.

'_Wrong on that account_,' she thought to herself as Elizabeth prepared to try on another dress.

"Oh, for Heaven's sakes, Lizzie, the pink dress is perfect!" Nerissa said, exasperated. "Would you please stop fussing, dinner is in fifteen minutes!"

Elizabeth's face donned a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Nessie," she said, light brown eyes begging for forgiveness.

The older girl sighed. "It's alright, Elizabeth," she said, calming down. "It's just that I really don't have the patience for this sort of thing; I never have, and I never will." They both laughed. "Well, now that you're all ready, it's my turn. I'll meet you downstairs."

Elizabeth nodded and swept out the door, leaving her cousin little time to change and put up her hair. Sighing, she went to her wardrobe and searched through the stack of gowns the two had just bought that morning.

* * *

_An Hour Earlier, Jack's POV_:

Finding Will's (formerly the late Mr. Brown's) blacksmith shop was easy; it was getting past the redcoats that was the tricky part. The whole bloody town had been wary of pirate attacks since Barbossa's stunt three years prior, and the _dear_ Commodore Norrington had very much tightened the town's security. Now Jack had to spend extra time trying to slip into Will's shop. Finally, one of the soldiers turned his back, and the pirate slipped into the building that hardly ever changed. Well, there was one difference…the old drunk was gone from the corner, for which Jack was extremely grateful. Spotting Will over by the forge, Jack sauntered up to his friend and tapped him on the shoulder. Will turned around, and the look of surprise on the lad's face was worth the risky trip to Port Royal.

"Jack?" Will's eyes almost fell out of his head from surprise.

Blinding gold teeth sparkled in amusement. "Hello, Whelp!"

"Don't call me that," Will said, clapping his hand onto Jack's shoulder. "What brings you here?"

"You mean besides the fact that I owe your lovely wife a wedding gift?" Jack sighed. "Not much."

Will laughed. "Well, as long as you brought a good one, and you come over for supper tonight, Elizabeth will be sure to forgive you."

Jack's golden smile came back into existence. "Sounds good! When's dinner over at your house?"

Pulling a pocketwatch from seemingly out of thin air, Will checked the time. "We should leave now, Elizabeth hates it if I'm late."

After quickly locking up the shop, the two headed up a back street, avoiding the Navy soldiers and heading towards the 'ritzy' part of town. The last time he'd been in Port Royal, the Turners' had lived in a fairly good-sized cottage in town. When he asked about the change, Will said that the Governor refused to have his daughter live in something less than a mansion, and so provided a much larger home for them. The cottage in town was still theirs, as they needed something to give their future children, and the smaller house would be a nice dowry for any daughter born to the Turner home.

Finally reaching the large, white mansion with Roman columns and blue paint, the two were greeted briefly by a butler. A minute later, Elizabeth came down the stairs looking charming in a pink-and-white gown. She gave her husband a kiss before turning narrowed eyes upon Jack. Deciding to act quickly (and to avoid any slaps or yelling), Jack pulled out a black velvet box and opened it so Elizabeth could see the lovely golden pearl necklace with matching earrings within.

Whatever she planned to say died on her lips at the sight of the gems. "Oh, Jack!" she gasped, reaching out to put on the jewelry that very moment.

Knowing that he'd managed to pacify her, Jack inwardly sighed in relief. '_Good choice_!' he thought to himself. '_Better save those other two gifts for later, just in case_.' He heard Elizabeth babble on about how wonderful the gift was, and merely nodded as she thanked him over and over again.

"Oh, Nerissa, there you are!" Elizabeth suddenly said, jerking Jack's attention back to the present. "Look at these pearls! Aren't they lovely?"

Following Elizabeth's gaze to the top of the stairs, Jack's eyes met with a very lovely vision. There at the top of the stairs stood a young woman, clad in a ruby-red gown, her deep brown, almost black, hair pinned up and decorated with a single red rose. Brown eyes almost as dark as her hair met his own, and Jack's stomach did a small dance inside his body. As she approached, the faint scent of roses mixed with ocean met his nose, and his stomach did another, more aggressive, dance.

"Jack, this is my cousin, Nerissa Fox," he heard Elizabeth say. "She just arrived just a few days ago from England. Cousin, this is Captain Jack Sparrow, the pirate I told you about."

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain Sparrow." Nerissa smiled and held out her hand a friendly manner.

Jack decided to play it safe and kiss it in a gentlemanly manner. She was a very attractive young lady. Not skinny and tall like her cousin, but fairly short and much rounder, though by no means fat. No, this woman had curves that any decent man would give his right arm to run his hands over. Golden skin and almond-shaped eyes spoke of an Eastern ancestor or family member, and both traits very much complimented her dark hair and eyes. The lack of a ring showed her to be single, which was a tad bit unusual for a noblewoman of her age. Looking closer, Jack would guess her to be in her early or mid-twenties; a bit past the usual age of marriage, but definitely _not_ an old maid!

For a moment, Jack was lost in his thoughts. This girl was the Governor's niece, meaning that she was a noble. She was quite interesting in appearance, but from past experience, Jack knew that he couldn't judge a girl by her appearance. In his mind, Jack pictured all of the women or girls that _should_ have been well-educated were instead extremely lacking in intelligence (barring a certain Mrs. Turner. It was rather depressing, really. Suddenly, he felt someone gently tap his face with their fingers.

"Captain Sparrow? Are you alright?"

Jack blinked and looked right into Nerissa's concerned brown eyes. "Fine!" he said, smiling. "Just a long voyage, that's all. Is that food ready yet? The food on the Pearl is somewhat…lacking."

* * *

_Three Hours Later: Nerissa's POV_:

Dinner was a casual affair as everyone sat around chatting and catching up. The topics were interesting, as there had been a range from two to ten years to catch up on (depending on who you were speaking to). Will and Elizabeth told Nerissa about how they had met on the ship over from England and all about their adventure with Jack on the Black Pearl. Jack, of course, had to add in his own personal details and opinions about everything, but Nerissa found them more interesting than annoying. He was quite amusing, and she caught herself laughing at quite a few points in his story, which seemed to please him for some reason.

"I'm very grateful for you saving Elizabeth, Captain Sparrow," she said, finishing the last of her wine as they stood and made their way to the parlor. "It was quite kind and brave of you to do that."

"T'was no trouble, luv," he said, walking in an almost hypnotic pattern. "But you seem to know all about us, and yet I know nothing about you." He sat down on a couch and patted a spot next to him.

Nerissa hesitated for a moment. She was certain she could handle whatever moves the dear Captain would attempt on her, but she was looking forward to speaking further with the interesting pirate. Inwardly sighing and promising to handle whatever he threw at her, Nerissa took a seat next to Jack, though a fair distance away, just in case he attempted anything…inappropriate.

"Now, luv, why don't you tell us all about yourself?" Jack drawled, his eyes focusing on her face.

"Yes, Nessa, you haven't said anything about what you've done since we last saw one another," Elizabeth said, pouring some sparkling white wine for everyone except Jack, who happily accepted a tall glass of what appeared to be rum.

"Well, it's a good-sized tale." Nerissa accepted a glass of wine from her cousin. "It all started when Father decided that I needed to have a thorough education so whenever he traveled, I went with him. I occasionally visited Elizabeth and brought her gifts from some of my travels with my father."

Elizabeth nodded. "You brought me chocolates from France, music boxes from Germany, and a pretty comb from Spain another time."

"Well, Father had decided that I should spend more time with Elizabeth, being as we're so close in age, but after she left, he decided to expand my horizons," Nerissa said, taking a sip of her wine.

"Expand them in what way?" Will asked, sipping his own wine.

"Well, you see, my father is a firm believer in learning," Nessa explained. "My mother was no longer with us after my little brother was born, and as he was the heir to the family fortunes, Father decided that I should see as much as the world as I could before I married. He sent me to France, Italy, Spain, and Germany to absorb the local cultures and to learn their languages. French and Spanish are somewhat similar to one another, so I learned the both of them fairly quickly, and I also learned Italian because most of Father's family is from Italy." She smiled for a brief moment. "I'm afraid German was a touch much for me, but I learned enough to say something and not accidentally insult who I was talking to."

The others laughed, and applauded her for her success. Nerissa smiled and nodded her head in thanks as they all drank their wine. After soothing her throat, she continued her story.

"After spending a year or two in each country, Father brought me home to learn other things, such as geography, mathematics, art, and literature. My brother, Philippe, was taught along side me, and I was frequently asked to help him with his studies." She drank the last drop of her wine and held it out for more.

"My brother really is quite brilliant. Seventeen years old and he's so far ahead of most boys his age that Father decided he needed to be taught how to run the our estate now instead of later." Nerissa smiled at the thought of her brother. "I was sent here to the Caribbean so that I wouldn't what Father calls '_mothering Philippe_,' but I prefer '_offering support_,'" she said, chuckling as Will poured her more wine. "And so here I am, drinking wine with my cousin, her husband, and a pirate captain."

Jack smiled at her and raised his glass. "Here, here!" he said before taking a large drink, polishing off the entire thing in an instant.

Nerissa laughed and pressed Jack for more information about his adventures and the truth behind them. He really was a fascinating man, and he told stories in the most captivating way imaginable! She especially liked the way that he told about becoming chief of a native island, which had her laughing for a good five minutes before calming down. Even Will and Elizabeth had a hard time keeping straight faces!

Unfortunately, all good times must end, and as Captain Sparrow bid them goodnight, he pressed a gentle kiss to Nerissa's hand, making her smile. As she fell into a somewhat drunken slumber, Nerissa couldn't help but dream pleasantly of a certain pirate's adventures and daring escapes.

* * *

_That Night, Jack's POV_:

Snuggling underneath the soft sheets of his bed aboard the Pearl, Jack couldn't help but think of Nerissa Fox. He'd never met such a well-traveled young woman, much less one who had been so well-educated! The lass could also hold her alcohol, seeing as she'd had about four glasses of it that night. The wine couldn't have been that potent, though, seeing as it was specifically made to be consumed while talking with friends, and getting drunk was usually out of the question when socializing with others. Still, the amount she'd had was impressive…

Sighing, Jack closed his eyes and drifted off onto a sea of dreams.

* * *

AN: Okay, now you know the main characters of the story. Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks! 


	3. Things Are Not What They Seem

Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: Okay, this chapter holds something that I've used in nearly all of my stories: the hero deciding to take matters into his own hands. The method he uses is even the same, but since I feel it's a fairly good way to do things, I'll keep it the way it is. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 3: Things Are Not What They Seem**:

_Two Weeks Later: Nerissa's POV_:

When her father had told her that a voyage to the Caribbean would be interesting, Nerissa hadn't believed him and had begged to stay at their home in England. Now, though, she wouldn't have traded this visit for anything in the world. Elizabeth was as much fun to be with now as she had been as a child, and Will was wonderful to talk to about swords and weaponry. Her Uncle, the Governor, was also a joy to be around, considering she visited him constantly and took tea with him every afternoon, just to keep him company.

But the most interesting part of her stay had to be the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. He would visit the Turner home every afternoon to partake in some sort of storytelling event that always had Nerissa on the edge of her seat. Jack (as he'd asked her to call him) was always thrilled at seeing her enchanted with his adventures, especially when he had her laughing to the point of tears streaming down her face.

And perhaps the best part about these visits was that Jack was so different from the other men Nerissa had known in her life, which had always been full of noblemen or the sons of wealthy merchants. The way he acted was so formal, and yet so relaxed that it made Nerissa feel as though there was no gaps or barrier between her noble status and his occupation as a pirate. She found herself liking the pirate captain and his company, and believed the same thing to be true about his fondness of her.

It was a pity that all good things have to come to an end…

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Swaying through the back streets of Port Royal, Jack smiled to himself. Today he was going to pay an unexpected visit to the Turners, and to the lovely Miss Nerissa Fox.

'_Funny how she somewhat resembles a fox_,' he thought, ducking behind a bush as a group of soldiers marched pass. '_Her eyes seem to sparkle whenever she's amused or thinking of something witty to say back to me about my stories_.'

But what was really odd, in Jack's mind, was how comfortable he felt whenever he was talking with Nerissa. Usually the most fun he had with a woman involved the two of them and a bed; talking with women (other than his first mate, Annamaria) was usually out of the question, since most of the women he knew were strumpets or worse. None of them could make decent conversation, much less tell him about the unusual experiences they had while traveling around the world!

'_After all, it's not every day a pirate can meet a fine woman that's traveled the world almost as much as he has_,' Jack thought, smiling.

He always had such fun comparing amusing tales with Nessa, as she liked to be called. Jack had thought it a bit funny and odd that a parent would choose such a name as Nerissa, which he knew meant _daughter of the sea_ in Latin, a name that very much described where she'd spent most of her traveling days. Perhaps her parents didn't know how she would be spending quite a bit of her life, but it was still amusing, nonetheless, and Jack loved a bit of amusement when it came to names. Old wives' tales sometimes declared that a name made the person it was given to; if that were true, then Miss Fox's parents had just handed the seas of the world a faithful traveler!

Chuckling to himself, Jack trotted up a barely noticeable pathway that led up to the Turner's mansion. As he approached the house, he heard female voices coming from within. Deciding to sneak a peek inside, he spotted Elizabeth and her cousin in the parlor through an open window. Smiling to himself, the pirate captain decided to listen in on the conversation and see what interesting things he could pick up. Hopefully it would be something entertaining about the noble class, as those were often the sorts of things that blackmail was made of.

"Nessa, I saw that you got a letter from your father," he heard Elizabeth say. "But there is no possible way for a message to cross the ocean that fast. How did it get here?"

Nerissa sighed. "Before I left England, Father handed me an envelope and told me not to open it until I'd settled in," she explained. "I felt fully comfortable here only yesterday, so I decided to open the letter after this morning's breakfast to see what he'd written."

Footsteps came very close to Jack's hiding spot outside the window and he crouched down inside some bushes. This was important, and there was no way he wanted to be found out when things were getting interesting! Pressing himself lower down into the brush, Jack looked up at the window and saw Nerissa looking out towards the gardens. There were tears in her eyes, and Jack immediately became alarmed. He hated seeing women cry, it made him feel so helpless. He kept his eyes on Nerissa's teary-eyed face as she spoke again.

"The note said that he had other motives for sending me to the Caribbean," she said, staring blankly at a spot in the distance. "He…wants me to marry a wealthy merchant's son who has just acquired a great deal of land. Father expects me to leave as soon as a ship can be arranged to take me to a small plantation on an island about a week away from here."

Elizabeth gasped. "Oh, Nessa!" she cried, rushing over to hug her cousin. "I thought your father swore to let you marry for love?"

Nerissa sniffed and blew her nose in a handkerchief that Elizabeth pressed into her hands. "He did," she said, her voice watery. "He said that he had talked with my mother before she left us, and they both promised that I'd have a chance at love! He broke his word to me, Elizabeth!"

Jack could feel his heart clench and his blood boil. What sort of man breaks a word to his only daughter? Jack knew that Nerissa's father loved his daughter a great deal from the way she described the family's lifestyle and behaviors at home. Lord Fox must have loved her dearly, as he had sent her around the world and educated her beyond the expectations of the upper class. Her father most definitely did not want his child to grow up a foolish noblewoman, an easily manipulated toy to be abused by men. No, her father obviously loved her, so why would he do this to a woman who had such a free and caring spirit?

'_I have to do something_,' Jack thought frantically to himself. '_I can't let this happen to Nerissa_.'

Quickly formulating a plan in his head, Jack slipped away from the Turner home and back to the Black Pearl.

* * *

_That Night, Nerissa's POV_:

As they sat down to dinner, Nerissa noticed that something seemed to be preoccupying the pirate captain. Jack was usually much more talkative than this, and it bothered her that he was so quiet and thoughtful. Deciding that he must be thinking about his ship, she turned talks towards ships, which seemed to perk him up a bit, but not enough to where he was his normal self. Finally, just when she was about to ask what was wrong, Jack asked something completely unexpected.

"How is it a lovely and learned girl like you manages to stay unattached?"

The entire table went a bit quiet. Will looked like he was as curious about the topic as Jack, and Elizabeth looked like she was going to start choking on her mouthful of cheese. Nerissa gave a small cough and avoided looking into his eyes; if she met them, she knew that she'd blurt out the truth in an instant, and that was the last thing she wanted. He might just come up with some crazy scheme to get her out of her marriage (which she might just consider, but never act out on)!

"Um, well…" Nerissa really didn't know where to start telling a lie, especially to a man that she admired and respected like she did Captain Jack Sparrow. It seemed wrong to her, but she had to do it. As she opened her mouth, however, Elizabeth decided to break into the conversation.

"Just tell him the truth, Nessa," Elizabeth said, her eyes begging her cousin not to hide anything. "He'll find out sooner or later, whether you tell him or not."

Nerissa sighed. "Very well," she said grudgingly. "I'm afraid that I won't be unattached for much longer, Jack. My father has recently informed me that I'm to marry the wealthy merchant's son who has a large sugar and tobacco plantation on an island close to here. I am to leave as soon as a ship can be found to take me there."

Will looked shocked. "But you've only just arrived!" he said, sitting up in his chair.

"I'm afraid my 'pleasant visit' to your home in the Caribbean was only a ruse to get me to my betrothed," Nerissa said, giving a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "My father can be quite clever that way, when he wants to be." She bit her lower lip in thought. "I don't understand why he would do this to me, but he wrote that it had to do with carrying out my mother's dream of having me wed before I grew too old for it." Nerissa shrugged. "It will also bring a very nice bit of money to my family, if the plantation is successful in the future." A sad look gleamed in her brown orbs. "It's just not like him to trick me like this, though."

Jack frowned and shrugged. "Who really knows why most people do anything?" he said, taking a gulp of rum from his glass. "Although, if you need a ship, the Pearl is at your service."

Nerissa stared at him. "You'd take me on the Black Pearl?" she whispered, becoming thoroughly excited at the idea.

The truth was, she'd always wondered what the legendary ship looked like up close, ever since she'd heard about it in stories told to her in letters from Elizabeth. Now she had the chance to sail onboard the vessel that was feared across the Caribbean! Granted, it was to take her to the arms of a man she'd never met and had to marry, but it was still exciting, nonetheless.

Jack beamed a bright, glittering smile at her reaction. "Of course, luv!" he exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. "How could I let a bonny lass like you sail onboard a boring merchant or passenger ship when you could spend time around a bunch of scallywags like the members of my crew?"

Nerissa couldn't help but laugh. "If they're anything like you, Captain Sparrow, I look forward to meeting them!"

Jack simply smiled at her. "So when do you want to leave?" he asked, finishing off his rum.

She pondered the thought for a moment. "I think about ten days from now would be a good idea, don't you, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth looked sad for a moment before nodding her head. "Whatever you wish, Nessa."

* * *

_Ten Days Later: Jack's POV_:

Watching the lovely, and unsuspecting, Nerissa say goodbye to her cousin and the Whelp made Jack feel a bit guilty about what he'd planned, but he quickly dismissed it. She didn't deserve to marry some idiot merchant's son; those no-good fops were almost always lacking in the brains area, and the thought of the brilliant Nerissa suffocating under all of that stupidity was heartbreaking.

'_The lass could even make a good pirate, if I could train her_,' he thought to himself, smiling at the image of Nessa dressed in pirate's gear. '_Now **there's** an idea_!'

Now fully grinning, Jack cleared his throat, signaling that it was time to leave. The two cousins hugged once more and Nessa pressed a chase kiss to her cousin-in-law's cheek. Even though the kiss was meaningless, Jack felt uncomfortable with it for some reason. Shrugging the feeling away, he offered his fair passenger an arm and escorted her to the Pearl. There was no luggage to take, as several members of the crew had already hauled it off, so the walk was a pleasant and easy one in the faint sunlight of early morning.

Her expression upon first seeing the Pearl was priceless. The Black Pearl was a thing of beauty all on its own, but when Mother Nature decided to pour a particularly effective beam of sunlight onto it, the sight was almost divine. Nerissa's mouth dropped open and she had stared at it for a good five minutes before Jack had to reach over and close her mouth for her. Nerissa blushed at the small bit of physical contact, but was still in awe of the ship she was to be traveling on. Beaming happily at her reaction to the Pearl, he escorted her to the shoreline.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

Three crewmen awaited their captain and passenger on the beach. After boarding the small boat and being rowed to the side of the Pearl, Nerissa soon received a closer look of the Pearl and its crew. Jack smiled at her expression as he took her around the deck and introduced her to everyone. The crew was on their best behavior, but she particularly liked the elderly Mr. Gibbs, who seemed to be exceptionally friendly towards her, for reasons beyond her understanding. Shrugging the matter away, Nerissa listened as Jack quickly hurriedly yelled out instructions for them to set sail.

The anchor was soon raised, and she felt the ship jerk forward beneath her feet. Gasping in surprise, she grabbed on to the nearest thing…which happened to be Jack's left arm. Glancing up from beneath her eyelashes, she saw him looking down at her with a large grin on his face. Blushing, Nerissa let go and pretended to straighten her gown. When she next looked up at Jack's face, his expression seemed to be a confused mixture of joy and disappointment. Puzzled, she opened her mouth to ask what he was thinking, but he beat her to it.

"Care to see your cabin, luv?" he asked, offering her his right arm.

She nodded and was soon settled in a comfortable, though cramped, cabin with her luggage. Everything was all in a shade of red or red-brown, from the drapes over the small window to the bedsheets. It was fitted with everything of the finest quality, though not overly decorated. All in all, it fit her tastes quite well, considering she hated overly done, tasteless decorating. It was a very nice room, much nicer than she thought it would be, and it made Nerissa think that perhaps Jack had ordered this room made up with her in mind.

'_But that's silly_,' Nerissa thought to herself. '_I highly doubt that Jack would go through all that trouble just for me, especially when I'll be leaving him in a few days. This room looks like it was made for a person to stay here in comfort for the rest of their lives_!'

Sighing to herself, she began to settle into her temporary cabin.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Taking a breath of fresh sea air as the Pearl pulled away from Port Royal, Jack felt a small pang of guilt about the whole plan he was carrying out. He was certain he could entertain Nerissa for the next week or so with no problem, but after those seven days were up, well…that was where the trouble lay. She was sure to notice how they didn't reach the plantation where her betrothed was waiting, and then she'd probably cause hell on the Pearl.

'_But it'd be worth it_,' Jack thought to himself, grinning. '_I'd like to see her all fired up_…_might be interesting, actually_.'

Still, he didn't like the thought of her likely crying when she found out that he'd literally stolen her away. However, there was the _possibility_ that she'd thank him for helping to rescue her from the confining lifestyle she'd grown up in. If that were the case, Jack felt (in his heart of hearts) that he could turn her into a pirate…a _well-mannered_ one, but a lovely and effectively clever pirate, nonetheless. Annamaria would probably welcome another woman aboard, since she hated not having another female to talk to about…whatever it was women talked about.

Sighing, Jack looked up at the sky briefly. Normally he wasn't a religious man, but sometimes a person, be they man, woman or child, needed to talk to someone of a higher power when they needed assurance or guidance, and this situation definitely called for it.

'_Dear Lord, please let Nessa forgive me for what I'm doing_,' he begged, for the thought of Nerissa suffering any sort of emotional pain at his hands was unbearable.

* * *

_Ten Days Later: Nerissa's POV_:

The voyage was taking longer than it should, and Nerissa was beginning to get fairly suspicious of the pirate captain that she had, up until this point, trusted. Normally she would have excused the lateness on traveling conditions, like weather or the possibility that they ran the risk of being attacked by enemies. But the weather had been excellent, the winds kept the sails full and were in their favor, and since it was a pirate ship, there really was no reason for them to be attacked by anyone save the Royal Navy (which she prayed wouldn't happen). When she thought back upon the route they were taking, it was as though Jack were taking the remarkably long way around to the plantation, which was on the far side of the island of Cuba, and the whole situation really didn't feel right to her.

'_So what in the world is going on_?' Nerissa thought to herself as she looked out her little window. '_We should have been at the plantation two days ago, at least_! _Jack said that the Pearl was the fastest ship in the Caribbean, so we certainly would have been there by now_!'

Still, she had to give Jack some credit when it came to entertaining a guest. A tour of the Pearl had lasted a whole day, since its captain had insisted on explaining every single thing on the ship. It had been more entertaining than it sounded, since Jack kept being interrupted by Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria, who had to put in their own opinions about everything. Nerissa really couldn't remember a time where she had laughed so hard as when the three pirates began arguing about who could load a better shot into a cannon. The rest of the time aboard had been spent at the numerous parties the Pearl's crew threw, with card games, drinks, and food being passed around everywhere. It was the most fun she'd ever had aboard a ship. Well, except for…

"Nessa!" Jack called through the door of her cabin. "Care to join me for some supper in my cabin?"

Sighing, Nerissa walked towards the door and followed Jack to his cabin. It wasn't that unusual of an offer, as she'd dined with the pirate captain every afternoon and evening thus far, and it was very fun talking with him about every topic under the sun. However, she was going to talk to him about something that would most definitely not be fun. So, once they were both finished with their meals and were merely sipping after-dinner drinks, Nerissa cleared her throat.

"Jack, may I ask you something?" He waved a hand at her, motioning for her to continue. "Why haven't we reached the island of Cuba yet? It's really not that far from Port Royal, you know, and we should have reached it by now." The man seated across from her suddenly looked a bit guilty, and that made Nessa's heart drop into her stomach.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

"Well, you see, luv," he said, fiddling with the bottle of rum in front of him, "I sort of have different plans for you, other than seeing you wed some pansy of a merchant's son." Nerissa quirked an eyebrow and Jack winced. "I heard you talking with Elizabeth a few weeks ago about your marriage, and I couldn't stand the thought of you being hauled off to marry some man you'd never met," he said, arms and fingers moving around as he spoke. "You're far too bright to be forced into that, and it's not right for all of that brilliance to be dulled down by some plantation owner who couldn't find his backside with a map and both hands." He took a sip of rum to calm his nerves. "So I decided to keep you aboard my Pearl as one of my own crew.

Nerissa's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged in fear. "Oh God, Jack, what have you _done_?" she cried, leaping up from her chair. "In doing this, _you've condemned your crew to a fate worse than death_!"

Startled, Jack watched the young woman run out of his cabin, puzzled by her words and reaction. '_She must mean her father might come after us or something_,' he thought, going back to his rum. '_No fear, they'll never catch us, and she can always write to her dear dad to not send people after us._'

He shrugged before going back to his rum. Just another reason to avoid the Navy, that's all.

* * *

AN: Wow, dramatic, isn't it? You'll find out about Nerissa's words later on in the fic. _Review_! 


	4. Too Much Like a Pirate

Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so I don't own him.

AN: Not a lot of reviews for this story, which is a shame, considering how much I love writing it for others. Well, I hope that more people review, since it helps boost the confidence I have in my writing abilities. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 4: Too Much Like a Pirate**:

_Three Weeks Later: Author's POV_:

Everyone has secrets. It's a fact that is widely known, and nearly everyone in the world, in their deepest heart, knows that the one you trust most could hold something in their mind and body that could destroy them should that one secret be known. Thus was so with Nerissa Fox, and everyone on the Pearl, save Jack Sparrow, knew that there was a secret to be had…and were suspicious of it.

It wasn't as though they suspected her of any sort of wrongdoing…after all, each of the Pearl's crewmembers had done some fairly shameful things in their lifetimes, and were all too aware of the proverb _judge not lest ye be judged_. However, that didn't stop them from thinking that the pretty noblewoman-turned-pirate was hiding something, something that couldn't possibly bring good fortune to the Pearl…

Or to its Captain.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

It had been three weeks since Nerissa had been kidnapped from Port Royal, and Jack was running out of excuses for her not earning her keep on the Pearl. The crew knew that their Captain had a certain soft spot for the noblewoman, and respected his orders for them to not touch or harm her in any way. Still, if the woman didn't start earning her keep on the ship, Jack knew that there was no possible way for him to keep his crew from tossing her off at the first opportune port. Or worse, they might…_force_ some sort of work out of her, and _that_ Jack would _not_ allow! But if there were a fight, there was only one Captain against at least two dozen crewmembers, and he couldn't protect her from all of them.

"No, the lass is going to have to earn her stay aboard the ship," Jack muttered to himself as he lay on his bed in his cabin. "But she's obviously not used to hard work, so where could I possibly send her?"

The cannons and weaponry were out of the question…after all, he didn't go through all the trouble of kidnapping the woman only to have her accidentally shoot herself! And since she was a noblewoman, she was of no use in the galley; Mr. Cotton could cook very well, for a man who couldn't actually taste the food he was cooking, and Nerissa might just ruin the food beyond recognition.

"Deck duty it is," he muttered to himself. He could only hope her tender fingers and muscles could adapt to working with ropes and lifting. "Guess she'll just have to go slowly."

Sighing, Jack rolled over and closed his eyes for a quick nap.

* * *

_Two Days Later: Nerissa's POV_:

"Now, this is how you tie a really secure knot," Mr. Gibbs said, demonstrating the action to her.

Nerissa rolled her eyes behind the older man's back. The crewmen were treating her as though she had no brain in her head, and it was driving her insane!

'_For goodness sakes, I'm not a child, or an adult with the brain of one_!' she thought angrily to herself. She briefly smiled when Gibbs turned back to see if she was watching. '_They probably think I'm the usual noblewoman who can't handle anything beyond tea parties, fanning myself, and talking about suitors and fashions_! _If Elizabeth were here, we'd both be speaking our minds about this whole thing_!'

But her dear, independently thinking cousin wasn't there, and if Nerissa were to raise any kind of fuss, she was sure the crew would think she was throwing a typical tantrum to get her own way in the matter. That was the last thing that she wanted, so she simply put on an understanding and innocent smile, acting as though everything were alright with the world.

"And that's how ye do it!" Mr. Gibbs finished, smiling proudly at the knot. "Now, let's see you give it a try!"

There was nothing ill-mannered about the last sentence; he was simply offering her a chance to do it for herself. However, she could easily see how many of the nearby crewmen were snickering behind their hands at the thought of a noble's daughter tying knots on a pirate ship.

"It'll probably fall apart on her the first chance it gets!" one man whispered to another.

His friend snickered, and although Nerissa looked around to see who the culprit was, she couldn't read anyone's expression. Biting back a retort, she knelt and took the rope in her hands. Falling back into her mind, she recalled a familiar training session that she'd had when she was a small child. The lesson had been about ropes, and had taken three days to teach her and three days for her to get it rightfully memorized and trained. That particular lesson had involved knots, including how to tie them as well as how to escape them. Her father had insisted on the teaching, since there might come a day where she would likely be kidnapped and tied up to be held for ransom. Nerissa silently thanked her father for his thoughtfulness and returned to the task at hand.

Lost in that memory, the rope in her hands became familiar and her fingers quickly started to move. Before she knew it, the rope was tied in a perfect knot, one even better than Mr. Gibbs'! As she looked up for approval from her instructor, she saw a dozen gaping mouths swallowing up the sea breezes. Amused, she cleared her throat in an attempt to get their attention. Most of the gapers closed their mouths instantly, but Mr. Gibbs still seemed intent on swallowing the winds coming off the ocean. Giggling, Nerissa reached out with a finger and closed his mouth.

"Now, how was that, Mr. Gibbs?" she asked, smiling.

"Um," the older man seemed too stunned to speak. "Well done, lass. We'll, um, get started on the next knot in a couple minutes, so go enjoy a quick break by the bow of the ship."

Nerissa nodded and walked away, hearing murmuring voices from the crew as they inspected the knot she had made.

* * *

_A Week Later: Jack's POV_:

Gripping the wheel of the helm, Jack noticed that his crew was starting to act a bit odd lately. In fact, they had been acting strangely for almost a week, ever since Nerissa had started pitching in on the Pearl. The crewmen were muttering and whispering to each other more often, and whenever Nerissa walked by to start on the chores that Annamaria or Gibbs gave her, the men would fall silent and stare at her.

Now, Jack didn't mind the muttering, considering that speech is a part of keeping one's mind entertained while at sea for an ungodly amount of time. However, it was the staring that made him very unhappy, for he felt that his crew was eyeing a woman he respected and admired. He made a small mental note to talk to them about it later…

"Cap'n?" called a voice.

Jack snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the speaker. "Yes, Gibbs?" he sighed, trying not to roll his eyes. "What is it?"

"Might I have a word with ye, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked, suddenly nervous. "Privately?"

'_I swear if he's going to complain about there being another woman aboard the Pearl, I'll give him privy duty for the next three months_,' Jack thought to himself. However, he was puzzled at the sudden change of attitude in the old man.

Putting that puzzlement aside for the moment, Jack nodded. "Anna!" he roared. The female pirate magically appeared from below deck. "Take the helm! I'm needed elsewhere for a bit!"

Annamaria gave a curt nod and took his place at the helm. Once he was sure everything was running smoothly, Jack motioned for Gibbs to follow him into his cabin. After the door was closed behind them and the two were comfortably seated at the large eating table, Jack waved his hand in a silent command for his friend to speak his mind. Gibbs cleared his throat for a few moments before speaking.

"Well, sir, ye see…" he trailed off, obviously unsure as how to proceed.

"Oh, for the love of God, Gibbs, would you spit it out already?" Jack said, rolling his eyes. He hated it when people just beat around the bush. "Get to the point, would you?"

"Right, sir," Gibbs said, rubbing the top of his head. "Um, the crew and I…well, we sort of…have a problem with the pretty little miss."

It took Jack a moment for him to realize whom it was Gibbs was speaking of. "_Nerissa_?" he said, looking at his first mate for confirmation that it was whom he was talking about. "What's wrong with her? I thought she was doing fairly well with all the chores. There obviously haven't been any serious problems with her so far or else someone would have told me. What's wrong?"

Gibbs shifted uneasily in his seat. "Well, actually, sir, it's the fact that there's nothing to complain about that's got us upset."

Jack merely stared and blinked at the elderly man for a few seconds before speaking. "So there's nothing wrong but for the fact that you and the crew have nothing to complain about, which is in turn the problem?" Jack said, trying to make it clear.

"Aye, that would just about do it, sir," Gibbs said, glad that his captain had understood the situation.

The pirate captain merely rubbed his temples. "Gibbs, are you trying to give me a headache?" he asked. "Because if that is what you have in mind, it's working."

"That's not what we're trying to do, Cap'n," the older pirate stated, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're merely upset that, for every task we give her, she does it almost perfectly!"

"Well, there you go!" exclaimed Jack, who stood up from his chair. "The lass just happens to be a natural sailor! She does well because she's probably seen tons of work being done on all of the ships that she traveled on. Hell, it might even be likely that she was taught some things by the crews she sailed with and forgot to tell us!" He reached over and slapped Gibbs hard on the back. "Next time, Gibbs, save your complaining for when they really needed, like the next bad storm or raid, savvy?"

The other man sighed. "Aye, sir."

Both men made their way to the door of the cabin. Jack suddenly paused right before opening the door and turned to his first mate. "Be sure to tell the rest of the crew the same thing, aye, Gibbs?"

A quick nod of the head was the only answer that Jack got before they both separated to go about their daily work.

* * *

_Author's POV_:

Ignoring the 'natural sailing talents' of Miss Nerissa Fox was easier said than done. Sailors are suspicious by nature of things that don't make sense, and to them, the astounding abilities of the newest crewmember did not, by any means, make sense to their minds. Nobles did not educate their daughters in the ways of sailing and hard physical labor, and yet this one noblewoman seemed to possess the abilities of a seasoned sailor!

"It ain't natural," muttered some men to their friends.

Her being efficient with a mop and bucket was one thing, since an _idiot_ could clean a deck without any problems. But when Nerissa began to tie knots and sort through ropes for weaknesses like a true sailor, the crew began to talk. The men could forgive Annamaria being onboard and sailing, especially since she was commonly born and had been taught by other sailors who were her friends. Most of the men felt that having a noblewoman who knew how to actually _work_ aboard a ship meant that, if she was hiding that much, she was probably hiding more secrets than they cared to think about. Ordinary people having secrets was bad enough, but every time a noble kept something hidden from others, no good could come of it.

As the weeks turned into months, Nerissa was gradually handed more chores from Jack's own hands, most of which happened to be simple things like swabbing the deck, tying down ropes, and keeping a lookout for approaching ships from the crow's nest. Nerissa took all of this in stride and did them without question or complaint, which unnerved the crew even further. In their personal beliefs, nobles (especially the women) complained about any sort of work they were handed, and when they didn't, it usually meant that they might plan revenge because of the workload they _were_ given.

Jack had tried time and again to explain that Nerissa wasn't your ordinary noblewoman, but the crew still couldn't believe that she had learned anything useful while traveling the world. It didn't feel right to them, and the fact that their captain didn't see anything wrong with the picture caused the crew of the Black Pearl to take matters into their own hands. It's wrong for a crew to plot behind their captain's back, but as long as it wasn't mutinous, then it was alright, if it was for his own good.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

Something was not right; she could feel it. Nerissa had been taught to always trust her feelings before trying to think logically, and her feelings were telling her to keep a sharp eye out for anything unusual. Today she was to work on the ropes that held the sails in place, and she wasn't looking forward to it. She hadn't had anything to do with sails since she was twelve-years-old, and her hands had long become the soft, smooth texture that noblewomen tried so hard to achieve. As soon as Mr. Gibbs was satisfied with her abilities, Nerissa was forced to work her tender fingers raw every day. She was lucky that Annamaria had given her a salve that helped to treat rope burns. Now her hands were becoming as rough and worn as the rest of the men's, and she didn't know whether she ought to be thankful or not.

As she tugged, tied, pulled, and secured the ropes, Nerissa could feel the hair on her neck stand up. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out why. Taking a peek out of the corner of her right eye, she saw one of the crewmen spying on her work. It didn't seem as though he wanted to sabotage her ropes or anything hostile; he just seemed interested in her work.

'_Perhaps he's trying to learn how to tie a better knot_?' she thought to herself.

No, that couldn't be it…Mr. Gibbs was the best knot-maker on the ship, so anyone who wanted to improve their skills would go to him, not watch the newest crewmember for help! Shrugging her shoulders inconspicuously, Nerissa returned to her work, though the thought of being watched didn't leave her mind during the entire shift she was given.

When she finished her work, Nerissa could still feel eyes on her back. Pretending to be checking a loose rope, she spotted three men watching her and inwardly sighed. They were watching to see how well she did her chores, and somehow, she didn't think that they wanted to mess her up. If they were trying to sabotage her work, they would have done so long ago, like when she first started. Instead, she believed that they were trying to see what else she could do with little or no teaching.

'_Well, there's more than one way to cook a fish_,' she thought to herself as she heard Annamaria call her name to teach her all about the sails.

As the dark-skinned pirate woman showed her how to raise and lower the sails, Nerissa came up with a plan. When it came her turn to lower a sail, she '_accidentally'_ let the rope slip from her hands. The sail plummeted to the deck, falling atop three unfortunate sailors. Nerissa clamped her hands over her mouth to hide the grin she was now wearing and tried to look horrified.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry!" she cried, racing forward to help the men currently trying to get the sail back up.

* * *

_Author's POV_:

The crew spent the next ten minutes undoing her little '_accident_,' and after everything had been sorted out, Jack gave her a very sound lecture on how _not_ to work the sails. He then forbid her from going anywhere near the sails or their ropes until Annamaria or Gibbs deemed her worthy of it. Nodding her head in apparent shame, Nerissa had gone back to her quarters and locked herself in, making the crew think that she was crying her eyes out because of her mistake.

A little while later, after Annamaria had brought her supper and carried away the empty tray, Nerissa lay back on her bed and smiled proudly to herself.

* * *

AN: Kind of a boring chapter, but still important to the story! I hope that people review, because lots are reading, but not many are showing their love. Oh, well, I'll keep writing anyway! 


	5. Finding Out the Unexpected

Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: I'm so glad that people like my work, it makes me so happy! If anyone is interested in how my stories are going or what other categories I write in, visit my bio page for info. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 5: Finding Out the Unexpected**:

_Author's POV_:

Life onboard the Pearl grew increasingly nerve-wracking for the noblewoman-turned-pirate. Even though she had been on the ship for over three months, it became harder and harder for her to 'play dumb' when it came to her duties and chores. While she had toned down her abilities to carry out whatever was asked of her, the crew still watched her whenever she came on deck. Their suspicions about her had diminished ever since she'd taken to 'making mistakes,' but they still felt as though something wasn't right about her. However, unable to uncover anything more than a normal noblewoman barely managing to scrape though life on the Pearl, the men gradually gave up trying to pin anything on the poor woman and grudgingly tried to get on with their lives.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Mentally slapping himself, Jack frowned at what Gibbs had just told him.

"The crew's restless, sir," the elderly pirate had told him earlier that morning after breakfast. "You've had us sailing around the Caribbean without any plundering getting done, and they're getting lazy and bored. The lass, Nessa, is fitting in now, and it's time to get on with the looting."

That was true enough. The crew needed swag in order to buy clothes, drinks, and pleasurable company whenever the Pearl docked for a bit of time, and since the Pearl hadn't been plundering in three months, they weren't having any fun.

"A bored crew is a dangerous crew," Jack muttered to himself, rubbing his chin with his hand.

And a bored crew was the last thing he needed, especially after all of that trouble with Nerissa coming aboard. The reason they'd been sailing and not attacking any vessels was because he was too reluctant to have blood stain Nerissa's hands too soon. Nobility knew nothing of pillaging, and he hadn't wanted her exposed to that sort of thing, at least not until he was sure that she was fitting in and comfortable aboard the Pearl.

'_Guess she's settled in now_,' he thought, chewing his bottom lip. '_Time to expose her to some fighting_.'

He just wouldn't allow her to participate in the raids yet. It was best to get her used to seeing blood before having her spill it for profit. Nodding to himself, Jack turned his attention to a map currently lying on top of his desk.

* * *

_A Week Later: Nerissa's POV_:

"You _what_? Jack, you're not serious!" she exclaimed, horrified at the idea.

Jack sighed. "Darling, we're a pirate ship and that's what we do," he said, rolling his eyes at her to state the obvious. "We raid, pillage, plunder, and all sorts of unseemly things to make our living, and I need you to be carefully and fully prepared for when we start tomorrow."

Nerissa looked away as she began to panic. She couldn't fight, she just couldn't! It wasn't that she detested violence; in reality, she didn't like it, but sometimes the act was necessary in order to survive or to help others. No, it wasn't that she hated violence, it was the fact that…

"Luv?" asked a voice from right in front of her, fingers snapping in front of her eyes to catch her attention. "You there?"

"Uh, yes, I'm here," Nerissa said, blinking. "Um, Jack, I'm not so sure if me fighting is a good idea…"

Jack snorted handing her a sword and smiling in amusement. "Don't be silly, luv, how else am I going to be sure you're safe?" he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Now, why don't the two of us head up to the main deck and start practicing?"

Swallowing hard, Nerissa followed him on deck.

* * *

_Author's POV_:

The two had barely taken positions before a shot rang though the air. Everyone ducked as Jack began calling out orders and yelling curses.

"Why the bloody hell didn't you see them?" he roared up at the crow's nest. The man up in the small space merely turned pale and shrugged. It was Wiggins, the newest member of the crew (besides Nessa). "It figures," Jack mumbled to himself. "Bloody idiot doesn't belong up there this soon."

Grabbing his sword and pistol from his belt, Jack stood up to glance at the ship gaining up on them. It was a merchant vessel, and it was running heavy with loot and weaponry. The Pearl may be unprepared, but Jack already knew that the men below deck were readying the cannons and preparing for the worst; the ship would be ready for battle by the time their enemy-now-target got here.

"Nessa, stay below," he whispered to the girl.

She nodded and snuck towards the main cabin, locking herself in.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

Huddling inside of the main cabin, Nerissa didn't know whether to sigh in relief or panic because of the impending battle. She was happy to be away from the fighting, but the Pearl was caught unawares.

'_All because some idiot couldn't keep proper watch_,' she thought. '_It's mid-afternoon, for goodness sakes! Anyone with eyes could have seen them_!'

And now Jack and the crew were in trouble. She'd been ordered below, and if she so much as stuck her nose out the door, she'd either suffer in enemy hands, or Jack would shoot her for disobeying him. Presently, shots were ringing out, swords were clanging, and curses were filling the air right outside her door.

'_I have to do something_,' Nerissa frantically thought to herself, clutching her sword in her hand.

Gathering her courage, Nessa put her hand on the doorknob and opened a doorway into chaos. Men were fighting everywhere, but she could see that the Pearl's crew was winning. A sailor suddenly appeared in front of her, a sword in his hands and a horrid grin on his face. Nerissa instantly knew that he was from the enemy ship, and raised her sword in defense.

"Now, poppet, no need to try and scare a man like me," he said, leaning forward, a hand reaching for her. "Come quietly, and we'll have some fun, aye?"

Nerissa's eyes narrowed and her sword came up, knocking his hand aside and meeting his weapon. The man's eyes narrowed as well as his sword clashed with hers in an attempt to use his strength against her smaller frame. He was surprised when her cutlass danced from side to side, his eyes losing track of it as it whirled in an exotic dance that he was unfamiliar with. Before he knew it, his weapons were out of his grasp and the brunt of her blade had met the side of his head.

Nerissa let out a breath. "One down…"

"Several more to go," declared another voice.

Looking up, Nerissa groaned when she saw four men advancing on her. Raising her sword again, she evened her legs with the width of her shoulders and braced herself.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Glancing over his shoulder, Jack saw that his crew was soundly beating the tar out of the merchant ship's crew. The enemy men aboard the Pearl had surrendered and the rest were being put out of their misery. Satisfied, he turned towards his cabin to get Nerissa. But when he glanced over, he saw four merchantmen advancing on her. Now, if there was one thing Jack Sparrow despised, it was an unfair fight. So, tightly gripping his cutlass, Jack's eyes narrowed as he advanced on his targets.

The next few moments were a complete blur for the pirate captain. One moment he and Nerissa were outnumbered, the next they were a pair of fighting tigers, frantically trying to survive the bloodbath that the merchants so badly wanted. Two went down under Jack's blade, one seriously dead and the other seriously wounded. The two other men were trying to use their greater numbers against Nerissa, and Jack couldn't stand seeing the small woman being cornered like that. He rushed to her side to help her.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

Trying with all of her strength, Nerissa kept her two attackers at bay. She knew that Jack had put down the others, and now it was evenly matched…or it would have been, if Jack were by her side. Refusing to give up, she swung her sword in an impressive arch, disemboweling one man quickly, but leaving her side open to attack, an opening that he'd been waiting for.

Just as the other man's weapon touched her side, cutting through the fabric of her shirt and piercing her flesh, Jack was there, his pistol firing a deadly shot into the man's back. Nerissa hissed in pain as the sword slightly embedded in her side slid out and clattered to the floor. With all of their opponents dead, Jack made his way to her side, his eyes full of concern.

"Are you alright, luv?" he asked, an arm going around her waist.

She smiled up at him. "It's alright, Jack, it's just a flesh wound."

Jack frowned at her. "Flesh wound or not, you need to be tended to before it gets infected."

Before she could protest, Nerissa found herself in the galley, where a few other members of the crew were waiting to be worked on. She only had to be there a few moments as her incredibly minor stab wound was inspected, treated with rum, and covered with a bandage. It wouldn't have been that bad, had she not had Jack standing guard over her and Annamaria, who was the one in charge of the 'doctoring' for the ship's wounded. Jack was constantly muttering and imputing advice that Anna really didn't need, and had to be threatened by both women to "shut up or get slapped" for being so annoying!

Once she was allowed to leave, Nerissa took Jack aside in the hallway that went in front of his cabin and looked him in the eye. There was a serious matter at hand, and she needed to talk to him about it, no matter how briefly.

"Jack, I know you aren't going to like this, but I owe you my life," she said, her voice soft as she tried to keep the conversation between the two of them. "I guess you could call it a life-debt, and you are free to call upon it at will."

Leaving a stunned Jack Sparrow in the doorway of his cabin, Nerissa managed to find her way back to her small room and collapsed onto her bed, falling into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_Midnight: Jack's POV_:

'_The lass is hiding quite a lot from me_,' Jack thought grumpily to himself as he lay in bed that night.

Secrets were something that he wasn't fond of, and the fact that someone was keeping him in the dark about more than one secret made him very upset. He'd seen Nerissa fight, swinging her sword in a perfectly controlled manner to kill an enemy that had her pinned, and that didn't make any sense at all. Noblewomen did not fight; it just wasn't normal! They might defend themselves as best they could (like a certain Governor's daughter), but other than that, it just wasn't done.

'_Guess that means the crew was right about her being a bit too thrifty with the chores, too_.'

That last bit just made everything worse. If Nerissa, noblewoman that she was, could work aboard a pirate ship and fight with the best of them, then she had some serious explaining to do. She might be widely traveled, but no sane person would teach a wealthy woman how to do chores like the working class unless they wanted some severe punishment from the girl's family. There was something off about dear Miss Nerissa Fox, and as soon as the sun rose, Jack was going to find out what it was!

* * *

_The Next Day: Nerissa's POV_:

After a good breakfast in the galley, she was relieved to find out that all injured members of the crew were allowed the day off to heal and rest. This annoyed Nerissa just the slightest bit, considering that she wasn't that wounded, and was bored out of her mind within minutes. However, a glance around her cabin told her that she seriously needed to do some cleaning, and clean she did. Two hours (and a lot of scrubbing) later, she was proud of her accomplishment of cleaning the entire cabin from top to bottom. Thoughts of a quick lunch and nap were disturbed when a knock sounded at her door.

"Nessa?" called Annamaria through the thick layer of wood. "Captain Sparrow would like a word with ye in his cabin."

Nerissa sighed. "Alright, I'm coming," she said, brushing stray locks of hair out of her eyes.

Upon entering the Captain's cabin, she was unnerved to see a very serious Jack Sparrow sitting behind his table, his usually good-humored face solemn. A frown pulled the corners of his lips downwards, and his eyes did not sparkle the way they normally did. All of this put together made her stomach churn with nervousness, and the tense air in the cabin didn't matters very much, either. She was glad when Jack waved a hand towards a chair opposite of him, indicating she should sit.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" he said, putting his feet up on top of the table, his hands clasped together over his stomach. "You've been hiding some very important information from me, Milady, and that's a _very_ bad thing. Secrets tend to make me a tad upset, and when I'm upset, the crew tends to get a bit…_nervy_." His brown eyes bore into hers. "Care to explain your little dance with a sword yesterday, and how you're so naturally good with your chores that it puts my seasoned crewmembers to shame?"

Nerissa swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I can't say that I would," she softly replied, looking away from him.

She heard Jack's feet meet the ground and instantly grew afraid when his hands grasped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. She wished she never had; never had she seen such anger and confusion in any man's eyes, and it tore her heart to see him so angry with her. Biting her tongue, she dared to look him in the eye, pleading for him to not ask any more questions about her and her life. Her silent pleading went unnoticed as Jack pressed forward with his interrogation.

"Spill it, luv." His voice was firm and commanding, wanting her to tell him everything even as his eyes mercilessly drilled into hers.

"I can't," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jack, but I can't."

"Why?" he demanded. "You say that you owe me your life, a blood or life-debt, as you call it, and I'm calling on that right now! Tell me what you're keeping from me!"

"I can't!" she wailed, pushing him away and getting to her feet. "I may owe you my life, Jack Sparrow, but I can't break an oath I swore years ago!"

Her legs took her to the door, but Jack beat her to it, his right hand keeping the door shut even as she struggled to get it open. He whirled her around so that he could once again look her in the eye.

"You'd better rethink that, young missy," he said, his voice low and frightening in her ears. "You're on my ship, and when I want something, I'd better get it. As your captain and as the man who saved your life, you'd better tell me what I want to know." She shook her head, and he sighed. "Suit yourself. Gibbs!"

The next thing she knew was the sound of the brig door was slamming, the vibrations ringing in her ears. Unable to help herself, Nerissa burst into tears.

* * *

AN: Sorry about Jack turning nasty, but it's needful. Besides, he has every right to be mad, doesn't he? Please review and let me know what you think of the chapter! 


	6. Songs of the Sirens

Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so I don't own him.

AN: This chapter is one of my favorites so far and I really enjoyed writing it. Nerissa really shows what she's capable of in this piece, and proves what she's worth! Oh, and special thanks to a friend of mine who has constantly been bugging me to update for the past several days. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 6: Songs of the Sirens**:

_Three Days Later: Nerissa's POV_:

For the thousandth time, Nerissa counted the little knots dotted around the wooden floor of the brig. If things got any more boring for her, she'd be going running up the walls. Jack _still_ hadn't forgiven her for keeping secrets from him, and he frequently came down to her cell, asking if she was ready to tell him everything that he wanted to know. In response to his questions, Nerissa always turned away and told him that she would rather be down here than betray her secrets.

'_Actually, I'd rather be in Cuba, married to that merchant's son than be down here or give up that which I have sworn to protect_,' she thought to herself, looking up at the ceiling. '_At least in Cuba I'd have something to amuse myself with_!'

It was the boredom that was going to drive her mad; she knew that immediately. Mr. Cotton and Annamaria smuggled decent food to her (as opposed to the traditional bread, water, or disgusting gruel), so she wasn't going hungry by any means. Anna even came down once in a while to talk to her for a bit so that she could visit her friend, but that visiting time always went by too fast for the female captive's liking. At least Jack hadn't 'made an example' of her in front of the crew.

She shivered. "Thank goodness for that," she muttered aloud.

Nerissa wanted so badly to be out of here, but she knew that her secret was only to be told in the desperate of situations, or to the people she trusted the most. Even Elizabeth didn't know, and she loved her like a sister! The secret Nerissa held in her heart was most precious, though, and she cherished the fact that only a few people in the world could say that they knew what she had buried in the deepest part of her heart and mind.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and drifted off for a nap to pass the time.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

"I hate this," Jack whispered to himself, his face buried in his hands as he sat at his desk. Sitting up straight, he sighed. "Actually, I hate myself more than I hate this whole bloody situation!"

For the past three days, Jack Sparrow had been questioning the rightness and wrongness of imprisoning Nerissa, and he still couldn't seem to justify his actions. He had been hurt and upset by her distrust in him, but a captain _really_ needed to know whether or not his crewmembers knew how to fight, sail, and how to survive at sea! An enemy dying was one thing, but losing members of one's own crew was too much for him. Jack cared about each and every man and woman (and bird) aboard his Pearl, and considered them family, and he never much liked the idea of losing family when he could avoid it.

'_Damnable woman_!' he thought, slamming his fist down on his desk in frustration.

Jack began to curse to himself as an image of Nerissa's frightened, sad, and guilty brown eyes flashed in his mind. He cared about this woman, this charming, sweet woman who hadn't screamed in horror upon meeting a pirate, who had instead greeted him with a smile and a thank-you for saving her cousin. She had laughed at his stories and crude jokes instead of sniffing disdainfully or grimacing, all while sharing a dinner table with him, and had eagerly exchanged tales of her own life's adventures without him trying to wheedle them out of her.

'_Plus she just so happens to be one of the most exotic-looking women you've ever met_,' Jack thought to himself before trying to push the idea out of his mind.

True, Nerissa was a lovely young woman with features uncommon among the English aristocracy. Those perfectly formed, almond-shaped brown eyes would be the death of him; Jack really was a sucker for pretty eyes. Instead of having empty, dimwitted orbs that glazed over at the topic of something other than dresses, jewelry, or scandals, Nerissa always looked interested in learning (or at least hearing) what others had to teach or tell her. She _wanted_ to learn things, and that's what made her special. How many noblewomen wanted and tried to learn more than the normal mannerisms required of her by society?

'_Not many_,' he thought, smiling. '_She's as eager to learn new things as I am, and she's stubborn to boot, just like her cousin_!' Jack snorted aloud. '_I wonder if that sort of thing runs in the Swann family…Lord help whoever marries one of those women_!'

On the other hand, who wanted to live a boring life, anyway? Jack grinned and leaned back in his chair, a bottle of rum in his hand.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV:_

"I swear, Anna, if someone doesn't let me out of here quick, I'm going to go bloody mad in here!"

It had been a full week into her stay in the brig, and Nerissa could practically feel the walls closing in around her. She'd done everything within her power to entertain herself, but there was only so much a person could do before all of their resources were exhausted. Presently, Annamaria was cleaning up the remains of their shared noontime meal, giving her precious little time to entertain Nerissa before going to finish her chores.

"I wish there was a way for me to help ye, Nessa, but Captain Sparrow can be as stubborn as nails when he wants," the dark woman said, shaking her head. "If only you'd tell him what he wants to know, then there'd be no problem."

Nerissa sighed. "I can't, Anna." Her voice became sad and hollow, as though she were going to burst into tears. "I can't tell him. It goes against the oath I swore, and I can't do that!"

Anna sighed. "Well, I've got to give ye credit for sticking to this oath of yers," she said, shaking her head. "Could ye at least tell me what you've sworn _not_ to actually tell me? You know, give me a little information through a loophole of sorts?"

Nerissa gave her a blank stare from behind the bars before smiling slightly. "Well, all I can say is that I _can't_ tell you where I learned how to fight, do a sailor's chores, cook, clean, or any other pirate duties."

Anna nodded her head. "I completely understand," she said, amusement showing through the somber face she was trying to give her friend. "I want ye to know that I still like and trust ye, Nessa, no matter what those idiots on deck say. You've worked damn hard while you've been here and not given one word of complaint." She wrinkled her nose. "Which is more than I can say about those cabin boys that Jack so often brings aboard."

"Well, thanks, Anna," Nerissa said, laughing. Slowly reaching through the bars, she gently patted the other woman on the arm. "That means a lot to me."

"Think nothing of it," the pirate woman said, winking. "Now, I'd better be off before Captain Sparrow tosses me in here for slacking my work!"

"Oh, yes, please join me!" A large grin formed on Nerissa's mouth. "We can keep each other entertained and sing all sorts of loud songs to annoy the crew while they're working!"

Anna laughed. "I'd rather be singing them on deck, so they can hear it better."

Both women broke out in a fit of laughter before Anna returned upstairs with the tray. Once again, Nerissa was left below, alone and bored to near tears.

* * *

_The Next Day: Jack's POV_:

More than anything, Jack hated foggy days at sea. It annoyed him that he couldn't see where he was going, and the thought of possibly running into someone unpleasant (namely the Royal Navy) didn't exactly appeal to him, especially when he was unprepared. Usually he didn't mind weather like this too much, but when the Pearl ran the possibility of being the _attacked_ instead of the _attacker_, Jack wasn't exactly a happy captain. Fellow pirates might use this weather to ambush them, and that was why he had extra people up in the crow's nest, keeping a sharp eye out for anything that didn't seem to look or feel right in this weather.

It was then that they heard it. A gasp went up among a few members of the crew and Jack had to rub a finger inside his ear to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. It was singing. Female voices singing an ominous melody that sent shivers down his spine. It was eerily beautiful and pure, but hidden beneath the melody was a warning of danger and death. Jack didn't know how he knew it, but his crew was in danger from the possessors of those voices, and he needed to get them out of there, _fast_.

'_Damn fog is too thick to see where they're coming from, though_!' he thought, frustrated as all he could see were oceans of water and mist.

The singing got louder and closer, and Jack could easily see his men nearly wetting themselves in fright. He knew what they were thinking, but he couldn't bring himself to admit their existence. _They_ had been talked about among sailors across the globe, but those who spoke of _them_ were always deemed mad or storytellers…or both. Few had had encounters with them and willingly told the tales, for those who did were labeled outcasts and never allowed on a ship again.

'_Ships full of singing women_,' Jack had thought to himself the first time he'd heard the tales. '_Loads of nonsense and too much rum at sea, that's what it is_.'

He knew differently now. They were supposed to be the stuff of myth, but so were undead pirates and cursed Aztec gold. Women who could fight and kill as well as they sang were very difficult to battle against, and if the crew of the Black Pearl was going to face the infamous and mythical Sirens, they'd need every man and woman aboard to be armed and ready…

Sighing, Jack sent Gibbs down to the brig.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

The sound of boots tramping downstairs to the brig woke Nerissa from her nap, as sleeping was presently the only thing keeping her amused, so she did so whenever possible. She was rubbing the last clouds of drowsiness from her eyes when the sound of the key in the lock surprised her. Had Jack ordered her set free? If so, why? Perhaps he'd forgiven her? Looking up at the person presently freeing her, Nerissa was shocked to see Mr. Gibbs standing there, a terrified look in his eyes.

"Time to get out on deck, missy," he said, his words rushing out in his fright. "All hands are needed for this fight. Lord knows we'll need every one of them today!"

Nerissa grew confused as she was literally hauled out the door and up to the deck. Her feet had just hit the deck when she heard it…and all sense of time and space were lost to her…

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Despite Jack's attempt to have lookouts posted everywhere, the Sirens' ship had come out of nowhere, their song flowing over every member of the Pearl's crew like breaths of air. The voices still sounded like a warning, predicting the doom of the crew at the mythical females' hands. The men all looked unnerved, but strangely, Annamaria looked somewhere between nervous and calm. Jack attributed it to the fact that she was a woman; in the tales he'd heard, the Sirens didn't harm women unless they felt that they deserved it. Still, seeing the pirate woman stand beside him and look calmer than the entire crew put together was disturbing.

Sighing, Jack did his best to keep his crew calm, but when the ship magically appeared 100 feet behind him on the starboard side of the Pearl, he nearly had a heart attack. Never had a ship managed to sneak up on the Pearl like this before, and it made him feel like his ship had let him down as being the fastest vessel in the Caribbean. Gritting his teeth, Jack began barking orders, his words suddenly freezing on his lips as he saw Nerissa approach the right side of the ship, her brown eyes glazed over as though she were in under a spell.

'_Perhaps the Sirens' song got to her_,' Jack thought, nearly panicking at the thought of the Sirens harming his Nerissa. He blinked. '_Wait, since when was she **my** Nerissa_?'

It didn't matter; all that mattered was saving the crew and getting them out of there, _now_! But first, he had to stop Nessa from getting any closer to the side of the ship. Grabbing Annamaria by the arm and forcing her hands onto the helm, Jack ran down to where Nerissa was, eight feet from the railing. Her eyes were still glazed over, but they seemed to hold a sense of purpose that he'd never seen in her before this very moment. He decided to stop what he was doing and watch her.

Finally, five feet from the railing, Nerissa opened her mouth, and the clearest musical note Jack had ever heard erupted from her throat, nearly stopping the fog where it hovered and causing the entire ocean to go still. Once the note had ended, Jack cocked his head and listened.

The Sirens had stopped singing, the music ending as though it were waiting for a signal of some sort.

Sure enough, Nerissa opened her mouth once more and a rush of pleading notes rang out like a church bell. Turning around, Jack spotted the Siren ship pulling up along side the Pearl, the women onboard watching Nerissa intently. Expecting an attack, Jack put himself in front of Nerissa's unmoving form and glared at the women on the other vessel. To his utter shock, one of the women raised a cutlass and saluted him before her ship sailed off into the fog, taking the warrior women with her. As the last wisp of fog enveloped their ship, the Sirens called out what could only be described as a farewell song to the Pearl, a song holding no malice of any sort.

Blinking, Jack looked around the deck. His men also held looks of disbelief and shock, as well as puzzlement. Annamaria was just as puzzled, but Nerissa seemed to be swaying where she stood, her body going slack. Leaping forward, Jack caught her before she could hit the deck and crack her head on something. Swinging her up into his arms, the Captain of the Black Pearl ordered Anna to take them to the nearest uninhabited island.

* * *

_Meanwhile: Nerissa's POV_:

In the brief moment between snapping out of her daze and the moment she passed out, a great deal of images and thoughts flew through Nerissa Fox's mind. First came the shock that she had remembered the note taught to her so many years ago by the Sirens. It was a complicated high note, and not many could perform it so well or so clearly, save for the best singers in the world. That one note had been created with a purpose: to be specifically sung only in the event of an emergency, for the note could ring out over a rather long distance and halt any form of attack from any Siren ships. It was that single note that had caused the battle to pause briefly before it had even begun.

The melody following that one note was a coded message woven into song to specifically ward off attack, as well as to prevent future attacks on the vessel. Nerissa was immensely thankful that she'd managed to remember those notes and counter melodies at the right time, and was thankful that Jack had sent for her when he had. If it had been a few moments later, the entire Pearl would have been up in smoke faster than a child could say 'yo, ho!'

Pleased that she'd been able to do something for the crew of the Black Pearl, as well as it's captain, Nerissa decided that she'd had enough excitement for one day and let her body turn off to recover from all of the tension she had put it through.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

As he lay an unconscious Nerissa down on his bed, Jack breathed a sigh of relief and agitation. The woman had scared the daylights out of him, and when she woke up, he was going to give her a piece of his mind…right after he thanked her for saving his life, the lives of his crewmen, and his Pearl.

'_Damn it, this is one confusing day_,' he thought, sitting down on the bed next to her prone form. '_Sirens are real, Nerissa singing like an angel of music and saving my crew from death_…'

Jack's thoughts trailed off as he pulled out a bottle of rum from his desk and took a deep drink. Once the bottle was half empty, he focused on the woman lying in front of him. She had secrets, all right, but those secrets had saved many lives this day. However, tomorrow, Jack was going to get those secrets out of her, whether she wanted to tell them or not.

Leaning back in his chair, Jack spent a restless night watching Nerissa enjoy a pleasant night's sleep on his bed.

* * *

AN: Well, what did you think? I loved writing this chapter, and whether you liked reading it or not, please let me know what you thought of it. I'd really appreciate it! Thanks! 


	7. Tales of the Past

Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Life sucks sometimes. Oh, and some people might not like the idea of attempted suicide, but that's what happens during this chapter. Please keep in mind that it is only for the sake of the story, and nothing more. Other than that, enjoy this chapter. Thanks!

**Chapter 7: Tales of the Past:**

_The Next Day, Jack's POV_:

From the moment he heard his crew making their way on deck, Jack knew that he had a lot of explaining to do. Actually, Nerissa would be the one explaining; Jack would be the one stopping his crew from probably harming the girl as she talked and answered their questions. It might seem odd, but pirates absolutely hate being lied to. And for good reason: it was damn hard to find people to trust in any line of work, and when one is living a dangerous life that depends on your crewmates, being stabbed in the back figuratively (as well as literally) is something no pirate likes very much.

A shuffling noise from the bed snapped Jack out of his thoughts. Sitting up straight in his chair, he watched as Nerissa's brown eyelashes fluttered open. Her dark brown eyes were still glazed over with sleepiness, but he could see she was waking up rather quickly. He couldn't hold back a small smile as she yawned a little bit and sighed like a child. She was rather cute, and her hair was in an adorable messy state from her night of restful sleep. Mentally slapping himself back to the task at hand, Jack shook his thoughts about her looks from his mind and leaned closer to Nerissa's waking form.

"Morning, luv," he said, smirking as she gave a small yelp of surprise at his closeness. "Would you care for breakfast before or after you tell the crew about how you managed to send off the Sirens?"

Nerissa swallowed hard. "Um, well," she stuttered, glancing around the room nervously. "Uh, breakfast…would be…nice…"

Jack simply nodded and went to fetch some food for the both of them from the galley. When he returned, he saw that Nerissa had washed her face and combed out her hair so that it shone. Not many people could keep their hair in such lovely healthy condition while at sea, and yet she managed to do just that. Jack inwardly shook his head and put the food down on the table. As the two of them ate, Jack stole glances at the woman seated across from him.

'_What's a noblewoman like her got to do with the Sirens_?' he silently asked himself. '_Why would they care enough about her to leave when she told them_? _Could her family be friends with them_?'

No, the aristocracy didn't believe in the Sirens any more than the general sailor population. Deep in his gut, though, Jack knew that Nerissa was closely linked to the deadly female pirates, and that her relationship with them had saved the lives of his crew. They owed her a great deal for that, and would have to return the favor some day…he only hoped that particular day was far off in the future. Meanwhile, the food was gone and Nerissa was starting to look a bit green around the gills.

"Alright, time to fess up to everything we want to know, luv," Jack said nonchalantly as he stood from his chair. "No use running away, and hiding in the brig is not an option, so don't even ask."

She merely sighed and stood up, eerily silent as she walked out the door and onto the deck, Jack following closely behind her.

* * *

_Author's POV_:

The ship went silent as Nerissa came on deck and approached a stool sitting at the base of the mast. The crew took their places, sitting or standing in a semi-circle around the stool that was now their center of attention. Mr. Cotton's parrot (oddly enough) was keeping watch for any approaching ships so that everyone could hear what the secretive young woman had to tell them. Annamaria took up a spot next to Nerissa, offering silent support to her friend as the rest of the ship's crew turned hardened glances towards her. Sighing, Nerissa did her best to gather her nerve to speak.

After a few moments of silence, Jack grew impatient. "If you don't start talking on your own, luv, we'll force it out of you, and you really don't want us to do that."

Nerissa swallowed hard and took a deep breath. A moment later, she began the tale of her past.

* * *

_**Flashback: 24 years prior**_:

The Fireblade was sinking fast, and her crew of Sirens was starting the Call of Death, the song and ritual that started the ceremony that would carry them to their watery graves. They were ashamed of themselves, the heavy fog having clouded their senses and blinded them to the approach of the approaching English ships. They had stayed in these waters for far too long, and the Royal Navy and the English noblemen were coming to bring them to justice.

Catalina, captain of the Fireblade, refused to surrender to the English bastards who were so keen on apprehending her sisters and hanging them all as soon as they set foot on English soil. Death by a form of justice outside of Siren Law was _not_ an option, and Catalina would do everything in her power to save her crew from that fate. One look at the approaching ships told her that no mercy would be given to them, and ordered the poison to be distributed so that they all might die with dignity. The crew quickly swallowed their poison, Catalina being the last to take it as she had to make sure of the others before allowing herself to die. The last crewmember swallowed her poison just before the Fireblade exploded on the water, sending Catalina flying off the deck and into the water.

It was an hour later that Lord Robert Fox and six of his men rowed out to the wreckage, trying to see what they could salvage and if there were any survivors. The sight horrified them: dead bodies were everywhere, and all of them were women! In their men's clothes, the Navy had merely thought them to be male pirates that needed to be brought to justice. They had been thrown clear of the ship during the explosion, but the complete lack of life in the water told that they had died by their own hands, as the detonation would have left some survivors. They obviously hadn't wanted to be taken alive.

Shaking his head at the scene, Robert ordered his men to turn back. As the small boat turned, however, Robert could clearly make out the form of a woman lying on top of a floating piece of driftwood. Ordering his men to turn towards it, the nobleman could see that her face did not hold the paleness nor of the eerie stillness of a corpse. From what he could see, she bled like a person still living, and her chest moved with each breath she took; the woman was alive, and Robert felt it was his duty to help her. So, forgetting his own safety for the sake of another, Robert reached out and pulled her unconscious form into the boat, holding her in his arms as they headed back towards the navy and to his ship, King's Jewel.

As she was laid down on a bed onboard the Jewel, Robert took in the woman's appearance. Hair black as coal and straight as an arrow cascaded down the pillow, making her golden skin stand out. Clearly she was of Asian origin, for the almond-shaped eyes, gold skin and straight black hair gave it away. Robert had not seen many people from the East, but he'd seen enough to recognize them on sight. He wondered what this woman's significance was onboard the vessel he had sunk. Her clothes, though burned, were still of good quality, but how could she have survived if the others had not? He would ask her those when she awoke.

Catalina awoke alarmed and frightened in a bed she did not know. There were pale Englishmen hovering all around her, and she panicked. One of them, a tall redheaded man with very muscular arms, grabbed her and held her down. As she struggled, Catalina's eyes met the pale blue ones of the man holding her. In an instant, the fight went out of her and she collapsed on the bed, limp as a dead fish. The man merely smiled down into her black eyes as another man examined her wounds.

A month later, Catalina found herself being taken from a holding cell on the King's Jewel and towards the nearest jail to be hung in three days time. She was just getting settled when a section of the wall moved. Gasping in shock, she saw it was Robert, the man from the ship who had always been so kind to her. He had a smile on his face as he motioned her to follow him. Puzzled and against her better judgment, she followed him without question, crawling on her hands and knees down a small tunnel and out into an alleyway. There stood an elegant carriage the likes of which noblemen used, as well as several guards. Robert escorted Catalina into the carriage and the two rode out of London without attracting any attention as they drove towards his private country house.

Three months later, Robert introduced his fiancée, Catherine Martin, to his beloved family. The family was thrilled to see their oldest son and heir engaged to such a polite and well-mannered lady, even though she was of a minor rank in society and from a small countryside manor in Spain. Her dark hair and eyes were well groomed, and her golden skin and almond-shaped eyes were enchanting to her future in-laws. Robert was ecstatic that his family loved his Catherine as much as he did, and the two were married on the Fox estate three months after her introduction to the family.

It wasn't long after the wedding that little Nerissa Marianna Carolina Fox was born to two very happy and excited parents. Catherine (formerly Catalina) did her best to educate her daughter in the behaviors of high society, but for some reason, the traditions of the Sirens always made their way into the daily lessons. Nerissa was quick to learn the correct way to behave at dinner parties and to act like a lady, but to her, the lessons about the female pirates of the sea were far more interesting. Even as she sat properly at the dinner table and used the appropriate knife and fork in the correct way, Nerissa always mentally went over the stories her mother had told her about the Sirens. She loved hearing about the sword fighting, the singing, and the dangerous adventures her mother had experienced before marrying Nerissa's father.

One day, after Nerissa had turned five-years-old, she was told that she was going to be a big sister. After calming down her excited daughter, Catherine forced her eldest (and only) girl-child to promise to always take care of her younger sibling, no matter what happened. Puzzled at her mother's odd behavior, the little girl swore that she'd always do her best to take care of her little brother or sister. Satisfied, Catherine continued to teach her daughter the ways of the Sirens up until the day she gave birth, this time to a son and heir to the Fox fortunes.

**End Flashback**

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

"And you told me that your mother died in childbirth," Jack slowly said, cutting into her tale.

Nerissa nodded. "A week after my brother, Philippe, was born, I was pulled aside by my father and he told me that Mother had left us, and that I would never see her again." A slow trickle of tears started to flow down her face, and Mr. Gibbs handed her a handkerchief. She thanked him and finished wiping her eyes. "After that, it was my responsibility to look after my brother and take care of him."

"Quite the chore for a girl of only five," Annamaria said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I didn't get a chance to be with him for very long," Nerissa sadly replied. "When Philippe was beginning to walk, Father decided he had put off my education long enough and began sending me around to world to learn. I was passed around to family members, mostly my grandmother and my aunts." She gave a watery laugh through what was left of her tears. "My father was the oldest of seven children, which includes five younger sisters, so I had quite a few good teachers."

Jack gaped. "_Six_ aunts and uncles?" She nodded. "How many cousins do you have?"

"Twelve," she calmly replied. "I'm the eldest grandchild, and the favorite, the apple of my grandmother's eye." Nerissa's smile grew to a grin. "That never stopped her from enforcing my education, though."

The crew laughed as Mr. Gibbs spoke up. "Did the Sirens ever come for ye?" he asked. "I mean, you were the daughter of a captain of theirs, and if your mother had any sense in her head, she would have written to them and told them that she was still alive!"

Nerissa smiled at the older man. "Yes, they did come for me, but not in the way you think," she replied. "I first saw them in Italy, the first place my father sent me for my lessons. One of my aunts lived there in a house by a port, so I was always encountering people of different cultures. It surprised me when a woman dressed in pants and a shirt approached me and asked me if I would like to learn about ships. I agreed, and we began meeting during the afternoon, when I was given free time to explore. However, they made me swear not to tell anyone unless I felt it needful." She smiled at them. "Like I felt it needful to tell the greatest crew imaginable because they helped save my life."

The crew cheered at her grand description of them and Nerissa continued her story once they quieted down.

"My lessons didn't stop with ships, though. As I traveled the world, I encountered Sirens in every country and city I went to, mostly because most of my relatives lived by the sea so that family members could visit them easier. I was later told that my mother had somehow managed to get a letter to the Sirens, telling them that she was alive and had a daughter that needed to be educated in the Siren ways. It's tradition for every girl born to a Siren to be taught about sailing, fighting, and singing, so I was no exception. " A small giggle escaped her lips. "I think they would have found me even if I were in the middle of a desert! I even got the privilege to travel home aboard a Siren ship and see how things worked and were customarily done."

"So what happened after your education?" Jack pressed, wanting to hear more.

Nerissa shrugged. "Not much, really," she replied. "Philippe and I had kept in touch over the years, and I often went home for four or five month stretches, so we had plenty of time to get to know one another." She sighed, looking down at her hands. "I miss him. I hope he's alright, after hearing about me disappearing like that."

"Oh, yes, the little kidnapping," Jack said, frowning slightly. "Was that marriage _really_ needed to expand your family's fortunes, or was that something else entirely?"

Her brown eyes met his. "The marriage was…well, I suppose you could say 'political' and not be wrong," she answered. "My father told me in a letter that the Sirens wanted me to marry a man with connections to the black markets in the Caribbean. They want to spread out to the Western World, and if I don't marry who they want me to, the leaders of the Sirens will be _very_ displeased with my father." She glared at Jack. "That's why I was so upset when you took me. It's likely that, since I didn't arrive, my betrothed wrote to my father, and now Father will have _a lot_ of explaining to do…and that road will quickly lead them to you."

The crew of the Black Pearl gulped in nervousness and fear. Gibbs turned pale, and even Annamaria looked a bit nervy. Jack looked uncomfortable as well as Nerissa continued to speak.

"The Sirens have spies and connections to practically every major port in the world. There are far more of them than you think," she said, her voice turning dark with warning. "Eventually, they will find out what happened to me, and they are not going to be happy. I may not know very many Sirens personally, but they all call one another sister, and if one of them is missing, they will find whoever took them and bring them to Siren justice."

Mr. Gibbs took a long, nervous swig of rum from his flask. "And what, exactly, is Siren justice?" he asked, though he didn't sound like he wanted to know.

"Well, that sort of depends," Nerissa said, her voice hovering between amusement and seriousness. "All roads lead to death by a Siren's hand, but it's usually preceded by torture and misery. The first Sirens to sail the seas had suffered a great deal at the hands of men, and it's always thought that men should suffer in turn for what they did to our ancestors."

"But what exactly would they…_do_ to us?" Gibbs pressed. "I'd like to be prepared, if possible."

"If I can help it, I'll stop them," she told him firmly. "But if worst comes to worst, they'll take all the men and possibly castrate you. At best, they'll force you to be slaves either on ships or send you to their island to be 'taught a lesson' for the rest of your lives."

"Island?" asked a crewman at the back of the gathering. "They have an island?"

"I shouldn't have said that," Nerissa muttered aloud, just enough for Jack, Gibbs, and Annamaria to hear. Louder, she said, "Their Island is held secret so that no one can find it. **_I_** wouldn't know where to find it since I haven't been sailing on the Sirens' ships and don't know the coordinates, so don't ask me where it is. Only a Siren captain or crewmember could direct a ship past the deadly reefs and rocks that surround the island on all sides. It's well protected from invading ships."

"So what happened earlier, with the singing?" Jack said, suddenly changing the subject.

"Oh, it was nothing more than a code, telling them to not attack," Nerissa said. "You're lucky I knew it, otherwise you'd all be lying in Davy Jones' Locker right now."

"So you told them you were alright and that they shouldn't attack the Pearl, all in some musical notes?" Jack asked in disbelief.

Nerissa rolled her eyes at him. "Obviously you should know that not all things you hear about us are false, Captain Sparrow." She threw a teasing smile at him.

Jack swallowed hard. Something stirred inside of him at the sight of her grin, and he wasn't sure what it was. All that he knew was that he rather liked it, and that he would very much like to see it again soon.

* * *

AN: Wow, lots of background info in this chapter. I hope that people liked it and will review, whether they did or not. Thanks! 


	8. Adventures of Multiple Kinds

Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so I don't own him.

AN: This story will be coming to a close within the next few chapters. Short notice, I know, but that's how this story was planned out. There might be a sequel, if I feel like writing one, but all we can do is wait and see. I'm planning on writing a Will Turner fic, but I will wait and see if a sequel to Sirens is an option. Enjoy the chapter, and let me know how you like it!

**Chapter 8: Adventures of Multiple Kinds**:

_Three Weeks Later: Author's POV_:

Life began to get a tad more interesting after the truth about Nerissa's past came out in the open. The crew, though still weary of her, managed to like her despite the fact that she was at least half Siren. Now that she could perform all of her assigned chores with accuracy without having to hide them, life became more pleasant for Nerissa.

Just like any other crewmember on the Pearl, she was allowed access to every corner of the Pearl without someone having to keep an eye on her. She was even granted permission to take part in raids. Even though Jack didn't like the idea of her going into battle after what had happened the last time, he allowed it so that he wasn't showing favoritism; the last thing he wanted was to have an angry crew on his hands! As time went on and Nerissa started to fit into pirate life, everyone began to warm up to the one they called the Siren of the Black Pearl, mostly because, two days after the Pearl's encounter with the Siren ship, Nerissa had begun to hum songs while doing her duties on deck, and her humming eventually turned into singing.

The crew soon learned that Nerissa's voice had a clear, ringing tone to it that made everyone stop and listen until she stopped. It happened on an hourly basis, and her singing seemed to make the daily chores go faster, despite the fact that it should have been annoying to everyone. The music was a welcome change to the usually silent deck. However, as soon as Nerissa realized what she was doing, she'd blush and stop singing, going back to work without knowing that the crew was disappointed in the lack of song on deck. Thinking that she was distracting everyone around her, she did her best to stop humming or singing all together, but simply found it impossible. It was as though something had been set free inside of her, and she just couldn't find a way to contain it any longer. Music had been engraved into her heart and spirit by her Siren relatives, but Nerissa hadn't used it until she'd had to save the Pearl's crewmembers and captain. Now that it had been set loose, humming and singing had now become a daily part of her life, whether she liked it or not.

One afternoon, after another bout of singing in front of the crew, Nerissa found herself called into Jack's cabin for a chat. Nervous that he was upset with her distracting the crew, she made her way to the Captain's Cabin. Jack was already seated, his feet up on the table and a bottle of rum in his hands. He gave her a silent command to sit down by motioning to another chair across from him. Obeying the order, Nerissa slowly and delicately sat, her hands folded in her lap in a very ladylike manner as she waited for Jack to speak. She didn't have to wait long.

"I understand that you are quite the distraction on deck, luv," he said, taking a swig from his rum bottle.

She blushed. "I'm sorry, Jack," she apologized. "I can't help it. Ever since we ran into the Sirens, I've just had the urge to sing whenever I'm working on deck." A small lopsided smiled quirked the corner of her mouth. "It's sort of a Siren tradition for everyone to hum a song while working, since it makes the chores go faster and keeps everyone in a good humor throughout the day."

Jack looked interested. "Really?" he asked in a slightly slurred voice. "Does it work?"

Nerissa shrugged. "It appears to," she said. "I spent months at a time with them, and I've never seen anyone work faster or happier than a Siren singing or listening to a song while doing their chores."

The pirate captain frowned in thought for a moment. "All right, then," he said, waving his hand. "Proceed with the singing, luv, as long as I don't get complaints from the crew."

An eyebrow lifted on Nerissa's face. "Don't you mean 'as long as you don't get _more_ complaints from the crew'?" she asked.

"Oh, no," he said, grinning broadly at her expression. "In fact, the crew's been unhappy that you don't finish singing the songs that you start! Down right maddening for them, you understand, hearing someone start a beautiful song and not hearing the ending. If you want to keep the crew happy, luv, you'll finish the songs that you start from now on, savvy?"

She could only nod through her surprise before going back on deck to finish her work.

After that, there was an unspoken agreement that Nerissa's main chore on the Pearl would be her singing or humming while the rest of the crew was working. To Jack, it seemed as though the Sirens were on to something; the crew _did_ work in a happier manner now that the deck wasn't so quiet. With a cheerful song flowing across the deck like a warm rain, the men (and other woman of the crew) were all too happy to do their work. Knowing that singing was a tough job in and of itself, various members of the crew had eagerly taken over Nerissa's other chores so that she could focus on performing for them. In fact, the only depressing parts of the day were when Nerissa had to take a break to rest her voice and the crew had to get along without her songs.

And so Nerissa had become a very welcome member of the crew. She had proven herself in the ability to work, and to give something invaluable to the crew. However, she still had to prove herself in the way of becoming a pirate…

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

Two months after their encounter with the Sirens, Nerissa noticed that Jack had something very heavy weighing on his mind. So, being the helpful person that she was, she decided to try and help him with whatever burden was lying on his shoulders. Knocking loudly on his door one sunny afternoon, Nerissa heard his call to come in and swiftly entered the slightly dark cabin.

"Jack, is something wrong?" she asked, walking over to his desk, where his hunched over form was gazing at some sort of parchment or another.

"Nothing to worry about, luv," Jack said, frowning as he stared at a sheet of paper. "It's something I have to take care of myself."

Nerissa reached over and tugged on a dreadlock of his hair. "Really, Jack, what's wrong?" she asked after she got his attention.

He looked up at her, expression wavering between amusement and anger. "It's not nice to pull the hair of your captain, darling," he said, brown eyes sparkling.

"Don't change the subject," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's wrong?"

Jack sighed. "I need to get half of a map from someone and I don't have a clue who to get it from," he muttered, tapping his fingers on the desk. "All I know is that I need to get to Tortuga to get it, but it doesn't help me if I don't know the name of the person to get the other map half from!"

Nerissa chuckled. "Well, why don't you take us to Tortuga and we'll work from there?" she said, patting him on the shoulder, his fingers suddenly reaching up and brushing against hers in a sign of thanks as she pulled away to leave.

A week later, the Pearl docked in Tortuga. The crew was let loose for some rest and relaxation while Jack marched up to the Faithful Bride tavern and ordered enough rum to fill three men. Nerissa had wanted to get off the ship and get her land-legs back, but Jack refused to let her go out alone. Annamaria had stayed on the ship to keep watch, and the other men had run off to their favorite taverns and inns, so the only person available to accompany Nerissa was Jack. The thought of having to keep Jack company made her a tad nervous, but she didn't have a choice in the matter, so she decided to be the responsible one and make sure that Jack didn't do anything…stupid.

After settling down in a dark corner table at the Bride, Nerissa watched in fascination as Jack downed three mugs of rum in less than ten minutes. She knew that he loved his alcohol, but she could tell that there was something wrong when he drank this much this fast. Sighing, she reached out and grabbed Jack's fourth mug of rum from his hands.

He frowned. "I _really_ need that back, luv," he said, slightly drunken eyes narrowing at her as he reached for the mug.

"Sorry, Jack, but you need to be at least a _little_ bit sober if we're going to figure out who to talk to about that map," Nerissa said, smiling at him.

For some reason, Jack merely stared at her for a moment before sitting back with a sigh, raising his hands in surrender. "All right," he said, reclining in his chair. "I give up."

Surprised at his obedience, Nerissa looked at the slightly filthy mug filled with rum and handed it to a nearby man. "Here," she said, shoving it into the other man's hands. "It's on us."

The stranger's eyes lit up and he grinned. "Thank ye, missy!" he chirped, guzzling down the mug's contents. "Tis very kind of ye!"

"No trouble," Nerissa muttered, turning back towards Jack, who looked suspiciously pleased with himself. "And what are you smirking about?"

The pirate captain merely winked at her as a barmaid approached and placed a (clean) glass of white wine in front of her before bustling off to another customer. Nerissa looked at the glass and back up at Jack, who had a broad smile on his face. Wondering when he'd ordered the wine, she took glass in hand and sniffed. It was a surprisingly good and expensive wine. Taking a sip, she relished the flavor and the look of pleasure on Jack's face when he realized how much she enjoyed the drink. Once the refreshment was gone, however, the two of them sat side-by-side, Jack edging closer to Nerissa's right side as they examined the map half that he had brought along with him.

"So, basically, you don't know anything beyond the fact that the other half of this map is here in Tortuga," she said, leaning back in her chair and looking at Jack out of the corner of her eye.

"Exactly," he said, sighing. "As pathetic as that sounds, luv, it's true. The rat who traded this map half for his life told me that the other half was with his mate, who lives here in Tortuga. I don't know the man's name or what he does for a living, only that he lives here and owns half of a bloody treasure map!"

The last part game out in a growl, and Nerissa could only imagine what Jack would do to whoever owned the map section he was looking for. Deciding to let him fume in private, she turned her attention to the map itself.

The parchment looked fairly old, but it wasn't falling apart just yet. The edges had turned just a bit dry and crumbly as the years passed. On closer inspection, Nerissa noticed that there were a few odd markings in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. They didn't exactly make out a word or a shape, but it made her want a closer look of it. She'd had lessons in map reading from the Sirens, and one captain had made it a point to show her how to read secret instructions, emblems, marks, or codes hidden in plain view on a treasure map. It had been a wonderful month, learning how to think like a pirate or a code decipherer, and Nerissa had been surprisingly good at it, for a twelve-year-old.

A closer inspection of the marks showed that it was a symbol, but the rest was hidden around the chicken-scratch that she could only just make out. It was frustrating, but Nerissa knew that there had to be some way to reveal whatever the map was hiding. First, though, she had to get some answers from her favorite drunk pirate captain…

"Jack?" she asked sweetly, looking at his depressed form sitting at her right. He jerked in surprise and turned towards her. "Were these marks here on the map when you got this?"

He squinted, either to get a better look at the map or to try and remember, she couldn't tell which. Jack sat that way for several minutes, trying to think through his rum-fogged brain. In an effort to be patient, Nerissa sat back and watched Jack work his mind in order to answer her question. It was actually entertaining to see his expression change as he thought, but after ten minutes of waiting, she decided to take a few drastic measures. Reaching over, she grabbed one of the braids hanging from his beard and _pulled_. Jack gave a small yelp of surprise before glaring at her.

"What was that for?" he said, rubbing his sore chin.

"I asked you a question and you didn't answer," she calmly replied. "Which was, may I remind you, about the marks on the map! Were they already here when you got it or not?"

Jack sighed. "No, they weren't," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I think they appeared after I had a lemon wedge battle with Mr. Cotton's parrot, which had somehow managed to get into my cabin while I wasn't looking."

Nerissa did her best not to laugh. "A lemon wedge battle with Cotton's parrot?" she said, her voice filled with mirth at the image of man versus parrot, dozens of lemon slices flying through the air between them. "Who came out the winner in _that_ one?"

Jack muttered a vague reply under his breath and ordered himself another mug of rum. She let him…after all, she had all the information she needed right at her fingertips. Besides, how much alcohol did the man need to have before he was thoroughly drunk?

* * *

_Two Hours Later: Author's POV_:

After watching Jack drink down another tankard of rum, Nerissa felt ready to take the thing and smack him over the head with it. She honestly didn't know how he could managed to still be in his seat after ten rums, but there he was, getting ready to order another one! Sensing that she should put a stop to this before things got out of hand, Nerissa reached out and grabbed Jack's hand before he could summon a serving wench and order more rum. Jack gazed at her with vacant, drunken eyes; that was when she knew that he'd had enough for the night. Sighing, she patted him on the arm.

"It's time to go, Jack," she said in a falsely cheerful voice, even adding a smile to her face for effect. "Are you ready?"

Jack merely smiled at her. "You know, luv, you're really beautiful," he slurred, leaning towards her. "I just love your hair, and the color of your eyes just makes me want to-"

"Alright, I think you've had enough, Captain," Nerissa quickly interrupted as she tried to help him stand up. "Let's get back to the Pearl, huh?" Jack merely smiled and nodded as she led him out into the street.

Thankfully, the trip back was fairly uneventful. Jack kept falling over things only he could see until Nerissa wrapped his arm around her shoulder to try and keep him upright. This turned out to be a bad idea on her part, since Jack soon began hold her close and tried to flirt with her as they walked. She only rolled her eyes and ignored him, focusing on getting them back to the ship without getting robbed or killed. One good thing was that, since Nerissa had Jack's arm flung around her shoulder, the whores of Tortuga merely ignored them, thinking that he was taken for the night and allowed the two to pass unhindered to the Black Pearl.

Nerissa was extremely thankful when they reached the ship; her rear end hurt from where Jack had occasionally pinched it, and her shoulders ached from trying to hold him upright as they walked. After depositing Jack in his cabin (where he promptly passed out on his bed) Nerissa headed to her own cabin, taking the map and a few lemon slices with her. Seated comfortably at her desk, she proceeded to use a clean cloth to gently dab the fruit's fragrant juice on the marked sections so as not to destroy or mess up anything.

She was rewarded with not one distinct symbol, but _two_. One was in the shape of a blazing sun, three initials set in the center of it. The other was that of a bird hovering over waves…the symbol of the Sirens. The bird symbolized the freedom that the Sirens had, and the waves told of their love for the sea, their home and livelihood. The sun symbol was one Nerissa recognized from her lessons, which was linked to one of the land-living members of the Sirens, one of the women who had married a landsman to provide intelligence to the Siren community. And from what she'd heard, the Clarence family was currently spreading out into the pirate towns in the Caribbean because of the booming rum and sugar industries, as well as to spread their spice market.

Sitting back in her chair, Nerissa bit her lip in thought. This could be tricky, but it could be done. Dealing with members of her own Siren family would prove difficult, but since her mother had been a Siren captain, that gave her an advantage. Now all she had to do was talk Jack into it…

* * *

_The Next Day: Nerissa's POV_:

"No, absolutely not!" Jack snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Nerissa sighed. '_This would be **so** much easier if he weren't hungover_,' she thought to herself. Aloud, she said, "Jack, I can guarantee that I can get this map with little or no bloodshed. All I'll need is you and a few of your biggest crewmembers with me, and they'll basically hand over the map half with no fights or arguments."

"Darling, the Clarence family are not only nobles, but they are _violent_, _merciless_ nobles who don't like people getting into their business," he said, glowering at her with hard brown eyes. "They won't take kindly if you walk into one of their warehouses or homes and demand something from them with nothing to trade or offer in return!"

"Do you trust me or not, Jack?" she snapped at him, hands on her hips as she looked him straight in the eye. "Because if you don't, just tell me right now!"

Jack sighed. "It's not that I don't trust you, luv, it's just that I don't like the idea of facing the Clarence clan," he said, reaching out and taking her gently by the shoulders. "I've faced them before, and they're hard ones to talk out of killing you once they get the idea into their heads."

"Nothing will happen, Jack, I promise," Nerissa softly replied, her own hand reaching up to rest on Jack's cheek in reassurance. "And if I'm right, this treasure of yours will be ours, with only a small share going to the Clarence family."

Sighing, Jack pulled away from her touch and released her. "Alright," he muttered, reaching for his weapons. "Let's do this, then."

* * *

_Two Hours Later: Jack's POV_:

He honestly didn't know how he'd let Nerissa talk him into this. Maybe it had been her touch on his face, or the look in her eyes that convinced him, but Jack couldn't be sure. Either way, the two of them, plus Franklin, Thompson, and Jones, were with them in this mess. They had walked into town, weapons at their sides, following Nerissa to a house that she had gotten directions to from a rather shady-looking sailor at the docks. She had boldly walked up to the door and knocked, waiting for an answer. A butler that looked like a mountain with black hair and outfit answered.

What happened after that was somewhat of a blur in Jack's mind. Nerissa had moved her hands in a certain way and the butler had let them in with little trouble. Jack and his crewmen kept their fingers on their pistols and swords at that point, but Nerissa had remained eerily calm. They followed the mountain of a butler down a hallway and into an office, where a blond man of obvious wealth sat, his quiet moment interrupted as the five pirates entered. Nerissa had made the same gesture as before and the man commanded the butler to leave at once. Jack and Nerissa were offered seats, which they took as they proceeded to wait and see who made the first move. The blond man (obviously a Clarence family member) stared at them with striking blue eyes, which were enhanced by his white silk shirt and blue coat, both trimmed with gold embroidery.

Surprisingly, it was Nerissa who spoke first. "I don't have all day, Edward, so I'll make this brief," she said, leaning back in her chair with an unusually relaxed business-like manner. "You have half of a map and we want it. You'll get a nice quarter of the treasure in exchange for it, and we'll leave it at that. What do you say?"

Jack nearly swallowed his tongue at her blunt mannerism. Was she _mad_? The Clarence family didn't do anything for less than half (if not all) of the profits involved in a venture. Was Nerissa _trying_ to get them all killed? Even Jack had never tried to do anything remotely involving _this_ family of insane cutthroats! After all, he wasn't stupid. Watching his crewmen stiffen at her boldness, Jack tried his best to resist the urge to strangle the girl and just kept his hands near his weapons as they waited.

* * *

AN: Okay, bad place to end a chapter, but it would be too long if I didn't end it here. Please don't kill me! (Ducks and hides behind life-size Jack Sparrow cardboard cutout) I'll update soon, promise! 


	9. Negotiating, the Siren Way

Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: I love it when Nerissa scares the heck out of Jack, don't you? Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 9: Negotiating, the Siren Way**:

_Jack's POV_:

Fingering his pistol at his side, Jack did his best to keep from having a heart attack on the spot. From what he could tell with a glance at his crewmates, they looked like they were trying to do the same. Nerissa's surprisingly blunt form of business could very well get them all killed this day. Dealing with the Clarence clan was like asking the Devil to bless your babe: no good could come of it, and more than likely someone wouldn't be living to see the next day.

'_She'd better know what the bloody hell she's doing_,' he thought to himself, frowning slightly to appear more intimidating. '_When I said that I trusted her attempts to get the map, I didn't think that she'd try something like this_!'

Biting the inside of his lip, Jack watched as Nerissa practically lounged in her chair. Her relaxed manner made him want to reach out and shake some sense into her. Instead, he simply sat quietly and let her do whatever it was she had planned out.

"I don't have all day, Edward," she said, examining her nails. "A simple '_yes'_ or '_no'_ will suffice. If you say yes, you get a tidy sum added to your coffers and we do all of the dirty work."

Jack nearly swallowed his heart, which had somehow made it into his throat. Trying to keep a hold on his sanity, he gripped the arms of his chair as Edward Clarence smiled and leaned back in his own chair, obviously enjoying Nerissa's behavior. A quick movement of the other man's blue eyes, however, showed that Edward was interested in more than Nerissa's business proposition. Letting out a small growl, Jack glared daggers at the man behind the desk.

Starting in surprise at the growl, Edward looked between Nerissa's relaxed form and Jack's stiff, protective face and looked a tad bit…afraid? Obviously he was, since he swallowed a bit hard a moment later. Chewing slightly on his lower lip, Edward appeared to be in deep thought about the proposal, his eyes glancing from Nerissa to Jack, then to the three large men standing behind the two seated pirates. He then let out a small sigh.

"As much as I'd like to accommodate you, Lady of the Sea, I'm afraid I can't do it for less than half of whatever treasure you're looking for," he said, folding his hands over his stomach as he leaned back in his seat.

"Forget it, Edward," she snapped, sitting up in her chair so suddenly that it surprised everyone else. "It's not _your_ crew or ship that'll be doing the hard work, it's _mine_, and _I'm_ the one that has to pay them for the dangers they'll face! A quarter of the treasure is the maximum you deserve. Now stop stalling. I _want_ the other half of that map, Mr. Clarence."

She scooted to the edge of her seat, her brown eyes intent on Edward's blue ones. Her form had turned hostile, and there was a slight sneer forming in the corner of her mouth as she continued to speak to the now slightly shaken blond-haired man.

"And need I remind you what your family owes the Sirens?" she said, her voice turning threatening. "If it weren't for _our_ ships and _our_ cooperation, you wouldn't be nearly as powerful and feared as you are now. If you want to keep our little deal between friends intact, you'll hand over the map and take what I give you. Savvy?"

Edward started to pull a brave face. "You can't threaten me with anything, Siren," he snapped. "My family had grown since the deal between the Sirens and Clarence family was made, and we are more powerful than you could ever hope to dream!"

"Don't let your Grandmother Melinda or Great-Aunt Agnes hear you say that, Eddie," Nerissa said. She smirked at Edward's surprise of her knowing his family members by name. "The children from Melinda and Agnes' mother are of Siren blood, and by Siren law, you're bound to do whatever a Siren wants you to. If you decide to go against me, you'll end up tied to a heavy stone and tossed off a dock for being so daft trying to get the better share of an offer like this."

"That's impossible!" Edward Clarence snapped, his hands now gripping the edge of his desk. "There is no way my family is comprised of Siren women!"

She examined her nails again as she spoke. "How else would you explain all of the easy doings the Sirens let your family get away with over in India?" Nerissa asked, looking up. "Not to mention how your ships are never harassed by any Royal Navy ships. We could easily take down any sort of pathetic attack you might come up with, and if you're stupid enough to try and deny one of us what we need, you can kiss your little spice trade goodbye." She gave him a quaint little smirk. "All I have to do is send word out, and your spice empire comes crumbling down around your ears." She waved her hands about the room to emphasis her point. "So what do you say, Mr. Clarence?"

Edward Clarence's face steadily grew redder as he sat there, fuming. Jack became uneasy as time slowly ticked by, and was ready to get them out of there when the other man spoke up.

"I suppose I have no choice in the matter," he growled. "You'll have your map half by noon tomorrow."

"Don't be stupid, Clarence," Nerissa snapped. "I may be female, but I'm not stupid. I know the map half is here. I _also_ know that if I come back at a different time, you'll have this place crawling with your pathetic lackeys, all of whom will be intent on having a fight. You go and get me that map half now, or so help me the Sirens will have all of your trading posts burned to the ground before the year is up!"

There was an eerie silence for a few moments, and Jack counted each and every breath as he waited. The silence pressed down on him like a hand, slowly smothering him until he thought he'd go mad from the waiting. Finally, just when he thought that a few well-placed shots might solve all of their problems, Edward Clarence rose from his seat and went to a bookshelf. Pulling out a book, he flipped to a page and removed a piece of parchment. He stared at the paper for a moment before replacing the book and returning to the desk. Edward cast a hard glare at Nerissa before grudgingly handing over the map half. The woman accepted it with a broad grin on her face.

"There, now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" she said, practically cooing at the angry man.

"Shut up and get the hell out of my house!" Clarence snapped, blue eyes narrowing dangerously.

Jack growled and stood up, pistol in hand as he aimed it at the offending man's head. "Don't ever talk to her like that again, you filthy pig, or I'll gut you myself. Savvy?"

He was pleased as the other man's eyes widened to saucers at the sight of the gun pointed at his forehead, his throat moving as he swallowed hard. Jack waited until the other man held his hands up in surrender before lowering his weapon, and even then, it was only slightly. Satisfied, he watched as Nerissa began heading for the door, his crew following close behind her as Jack stayed behind to watch their backs. He saw Clarence reach for his desk, but the faint _click_ of the pirate captain's pistol being readied stopped him from going further. Smiling, Jack watched as the blond man backed away from the desk, his hands in the air as he waited for Jack to leave.

Giving a mock salute, Jack backed out of the room and followed his crewmen and woman out the front door and into the streets of Tortuga.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

The walk through Tortuga was a satisfying one…well, in Nerissa's mind, at least. However, she could tell that Jack and the other men wanted some answers to what had happened, so she stopped walking and turned around to catch everyone's attention.

"I know that you all want answers, so why don't we go someplace private where I can explain myself?" she said, smiling at them.

Beads jingled as Jack nodded. "I know of a cozy private room at the Faithful Bride that we can all talk in," he said, walking ahead of them.

In twenty minutes, they were all comfortably situated around a table in a private room at the back of the Bride, mugs of alcohol in everyone's hand, including Nerissa's. Sighing, she looking into her glass of wine (ordered at Jack's insistence) and prepared to talk.

"The reason I know of the Clarence family is very simple and very basic. It's entirely because they have extremely strong ties to the Sirens," she began, taking a sip of wine. "Basically, the small treaty between the two parties is this: they give us bribes and very expensive spices for free, and our fleets don't raid their trading posts or ships whenever we encounter them. Another part of our little 'bargain' is that they are also supposed to give us anything we are in sore need of. Edward Clarence knows this, so when I came in and began acting the part of a Siren captain, he had no choice but to give me what I asked for. He may have wanted to fight me, but the treaty is too important to him and his family to risk for the sake of one bit of treasure that is a lot less than what they make with the spice trade."

"But what about us men?" Thompson asked after downing the entire mug of rum and reaching for a full bottle of the stuff. "I thought most of your ships were full of just women alone."

Nerissa shook her head, taking another sip of wine. "Most ships _are_ crewed by nothing but women, but there are still quite a few others that have men aboard. Those men tend to be husbands or sons of Siren women who love the sea as much as we do. Even though you're men, it's not entirely unusual for men to accompany Sirens on their adventures."

"And what if Clarence had refused your orders?" snapped Jones, his eyes narrowing. "He would have shot us on the spot!"

Nerissa snorted. "Highly unlikely," she said, raising her wine glass once more. "That fellow we asked directions from at the docks? He had a tattoo on his arm, which means he's a link to the Sirens. I told him that if we weren't back in three hours to let the Sirens know what had happened. After that, the treaty would have been void and the Clarence family would be paupers by Christmas time."

Jack let out a huge huff. "Well, luv, needless to say, you scared _me_ out of my wits with your little act there," he said. "How did you know that the Clarence family had the map, though?"

"There were hidden marks on the map are symbolic of the Sirens," she explained, moving her glass so that the wine sloshed around the sides. "One symbol is linked to a Spanish ship attacked almost a century ago as it returned from the Caribbean. It was full of stolen gold and jewels from the natives on the mainland, and the Sirens, in turn, looted that ship before sinking it. That _particular_ ship of Sirens then hid the loot and made the map for others to find."

"Why would they do that?" Jones asked, though the rest of the men (including Jack) looked just as confused. "It seems kind of silly to raid a ship, destroy it, and hide the loot from your own friends and family. Not to mention hiding the map as well, which just makes me wonder how sane that ship of Sirens really was!"

Nerissa laughed. "It's sort of a game," she explained, another sip of wine going down her throat. "We do it to make our lazy Siren sisters get out and go do something. The purpose is that, not only do they get some exercise and get to hone their skills, but they get a nice reward to retire with when they retire." She grinned broadly. "It also gives them a reason to try and survive to old age, too."

The crewmen and captain of the Black Pearl were silent for a moment before they burst out laughing. Once they settled down, the all toasted to the twisted workings of the Sirens.

* * *

_Three Hours Later: The Black Pearl: Jack's POV_:

Watching Nerissa sit and chat with his crew had made his heart do funny things in his chest, though he'd never admit it. Captain Jack Sparrow simply did not admit to having strong attractions to young, beautiful, clever women with pretty eyes. No, that simply wouldn't do.

'_Put that out of your mind right now, Jack_,' he thought to himself, finishing off another bottle of rum and dropping the empty glass container to the ground beside his bed. Stretching out, he let his mind wander to the day's events. The girl had very nearly killed him with that little act of hers.

"Damn nearly killed the others, too," he muttered, chuckling in spite of himself. "The woman knows how to play a situation, though."

'_Of course she does_,' snapped a voice in the back of his mind. '_She's a bloody Siren_!_ They **all** know how to lie, cheat, steal, and fight their way out of a situation_!'

That was true enough. From the tales and information Nerissa had given him so far, Jack knew that beneath her aristocratic breeding and polite exterior, she was just as much a pirate as he was.

'_Not that it's a bad thing, mind you_,' he thought, staring at the ceiling of his cabin. '_Never met a woman who could keep up with me before_.'

Well, except Elizabeth, but she was in a category all her own, just like Annamaria. Both were bold women and could get their own ways out of a situation, but only Nerissa seemed like something more than that. She could easily play a situation to her advantage, and that just made his stomach twist, turn, and dance the tango with his heart. It wasn't painful by any means.

'_Actually, it feels kind of…good_.'

He sighed and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, sleep came and dreams of a certain Siren invaded his unconscious mind…though he wouldn't remember them later…

* * *

_The Next Day: Nerissa's POV_:

Yawning, Nerissa waited outside the captain's cabin, intent on going after the treasure as soon as possible. But from the smell of rum coming though the door, it had likely been a very late night for the Captain. Still, that was no excuse for sleeping until after lunch! When Jack hadn't shown up for the midday meal, Nerissa had wanted to head in and wake him up with a bucket of cold seawater. However, Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria had convinced her that it would be a bad idea to wake the captain, and that scrubbing the deck on her hands and knees for the next six months wasn't exactly worth it.

'_I'll be the judge of that_,' she thought as she prepared to raise her hand to knock on the large door, grinning evilly to herself.

After all, it was mid-afternoon, and the treasure was just calling for them to go and get it! Granted, it was an easy job, but she wanted to pay off the Clarence man before he got too impatient and started sending some sort of assassin team after them. Not that he would…hopefully. It was a very good thing that she had sent word out to the Sirens (via some 'special' friends) about the Clarence family getting a bit too arrogant for their own good. There would probably be a few raids on the spice market this year, just to put the pampered fools in their place.

'_God, I love this type of work_,' she thought to herself, smiling as she prepared to knock on Jack's door. '_Maybe I should convince the Siren Elders that I don't want to marry some merchant fool and have them put me on a ship instead_…' Now wouldn't _that_ create a lovely expression on her father's face? Oh, she would pay a handsome price to see what her father would say to her becoming an official Siren of the Sea.

'_In fact, Papa's reaction to my joining the Sirens might just be equal to Jack's after I wake him up_.'

Deciding to skip the knocking, Nerissa snuck into the cabin, her eyes and ears open for any sign of movement. The only thing she heard was snoring coming from the bed, which was exactly what she was hoping for. Smirking, she tiptoed to the bed, staring at the half-naked captain as he slept. He was so damn good-looking when he was asleep, though, and it seemed a pity to wake him. On the other hand, there was a treasure to be had and a crew to pay, so it was for a good cause in the end. Holding back a chuckle, Nerissa lifted the small bucket of cold seawater and dumped it onto Jack's head.

Letting out a shout, Jack leapt out of bed, angry brown eyes searching the room for the criminal who had woken him up. Nerissa raced for the doorway, calling out a "good morning" as she slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Still sputtering, Jack bit back a grin as Nerissa high-tailed it out of his cabin. The girl had guts, that's for sure, and he so enjoyed a woman who was brave enough to pull a stunt like that while he was asleep. Smirking in spite of himself, Jack got up and began to get dressed, plotting revenge for a later date.

* * *

AN: How did you like the chapter? Please show your support and love by reviewing! 


	10. Treasure Hunting

Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so I don't own him.

AN: Possibly some very sappy stuff happening in this chapter, so beware all those who dislike romance and stuff! Also, picture the acrobatics that Nerissa does as something you would see in Cirque de Soleil (or something just as impressive, for those who've never seen it). Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 10: Treasure Hunting**:

_Later that Day, Nerissa's POV_:

In the privacy of her mind, Nerissa thought the trip to find the treasure would likely prove to be interesting. She had spent the better part of the day hiding from Jack, who was probably still upset about the whole waking-him-up-using-a-bucket-of-water incident. It had cracked her up to think that she had managed to do it, and she still had a broad grin on her face as she kept watch from the crow's nest.

Presently, Nerissa was enjoying the fruits of her efforts. They had the treasure map, Jack was thoroughly awake to take them there, and she was successful in finding the crow's nest as the perfect place to hide from the Captain's wrath, since he would have to make a lot of commotion over the effort of climbing the ropes to get to her. If he did manage to get up here, though, she could always get down and run so that he couldn't catch her. Annamaria had already told her of another good hiding place in case Jack managed to find her up here.

Sighing, Nerissa closed her eyes and let the sea air caress her face and hair. A calm, steady wind blew off of the Caribbean, tossing her brown hair and cooling her sweat-soaked face. The Caribbean sun was especially hot during the afternoons, so duty up in the crow's nest was usually a good way to cool down. Opening her eyes, Nerissa picked up her water flask from the shady place she had stashed it and took a good swig, letting the semi-cold water slide down her dry throat. Cold water…what a wonderful thing…and it was so peaceful, with the crew in the galley having an afternoon break while she kept watch…

"I know you're up there, luv," called a familiar voice from below the nest.

'_Uh, oh. No good can come of this_,' she thought, putting down her water and risking a peek over the edge of the nest.

There on the main deck stood Jack, dry as a bone (despite the sweat that she could imagine dripping off of his face in the heat), and with his arms crossed over his chest. From the sparkle coming from his facial area, there was also a broad smirk on his face, which only made her even more apprehensive about what he might try and do to her in revenge for his little "wake up call." Gulping, Nerissa plastered a fake smile on her lips and stood up, showing herself willingly to the Black Pearl's captain.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" she called down to him, leaning on her arms to look more relaxed.

"Oh, nothing much, luv," he replied, walking towards the mast and the ropes that led up to the crow's nest. "Just wait for me up there; I'll be up in a jiffy."

Smirking, she waited to the count of ten before tying the flask of water securely to her hip and slipping over the ropes leading down to the deck. By now, Jack was three-quarters of the way up the rigging, watching her as she reached for the ropes that would lead her down towards the deck. He raised an eyebrow in speculation.

"You can't be that fast or good of a climber, luv," he called to her. "I'll be there before you're a foot down!"

Grinning, Nerissa gave a mock salute and reached for the rope. Going head over feet, she did an impressive set of back flips down the rope and onto the deck, successfully landing on her feet on the deck. Looking up, she saw Jack up at the crow's nest, his jaw hanging open in shock. Grinning as she gave him another salute, she ran downstairs to the little hiding place Anna had told her about.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

From his perch in the crow's nest, Jack tried to go over what had just happened in his mind. He honestly couldn't believe what he had just seen. Had she really done _back flips_ down a rope and landed on the deck, graceful as a cat? It had been one of the most amazing things that Jack had ever seen, and he had seen quite a lot in his life. Still, it had been rather impressive, the way she arched backwards down the rope, her feet somehow managing to grip the rope even when she couldn't see if she was fully (and safely) holding on to it.

'_That is a wonderful trick_,' he thought to himself, looking out to sea. '_I wonder what else she can do…though we probably won't find out unless she wants us to_.'

Chuckling, Jack headed down the ropes to try and find the elusive little Siren.

* * *

_That Evening, Author's POV_:

Walking around the Pearl's main hold for the hundredth time that day, Jack was starting to feel a bit annoyed with his female crewmembers. Nerissa had literally vanished into thin air after leaving him earlier that day, and he couldn't seem to find her. He knew every inch of the Pearl, and he had searched through all of it in an attempt to find the woman, but still had no luck.

Well, technically that wasn't true…he hadn't searched the Women's Quarters, meaning Nerissa's cabin and Annamaria's private little corner of the Pearl. He knew that if he knocked on Nerissa's door, she probably wouldn't answer, and he couldn't exactly barge in, since there was an unspoken rule on the Pearl forbidding such intrusion on the ladies. And if he went into Annamaria's cabin, well…he rather liked living and breathing, thank you very much. Frustrated with his failure, Jack headed to his cabin to test out his unopened bottles of rum.

Meanwhile, Nerissa had enjoyed a rather quiet afternoon chatting with Annamaria in the dark-skinned woman's cabin. The two of them had finished their chores for the day, and had decided to snatch some cold food (cheese, meat, bread, and fruit) and water from the galley to have their own little private female get together. They snacked, talked, and giggled over nothing in particular until Anna pulled out some books for them to read before the light was too poor for it.

Now, with the light fading, the two women set aside their books and stretched. The two of them ate the last of the food and separated, Nerissa quietly sneaking back to her cabin so as to avoid Jack and his questions. Snuggling under her bedsheets, she fell into a deep contented sleep.

* * *

_Three Days Later: Jack's POV_:

'_This is **really** starting to get on my nerves_,' thought Jack for the fourth time that day as he stood at the helm of his ship.

Nerissa was proving to be very adept at avoiding Jack at all costs. It seemed as though she could tell when he was looking for her, and she would always manage to slip away from right under his very nose. Even when she was in the middle of doing her chores, she was able to somehow vanish right under his gaze. When he failed to find her after a thorough search of the ship, he discovered that her work was finished (and done well), and he had no idea how she did it! It was absolutely maddening!

Today was their fourth day at sea, and they were that much closer to getting to the treasure. From what Jack could gather from the map, it was in a little hidden cove on the island off of the coast of Mexico, which was still two days away from where they were. It would be slightly risky, given the attentiveness of the Navy in the area, but it could be done. Now if only he could get his hands on a certain young woman with pretty brown eyes and the ability to drive him mad in an instant with her antics…

"Earth to Captain Sparrow!" called a familiar voice as a hand waved in front of his face.

Jack blinked and snapped his head backwards a bit. "What the bloody hell?" Looking around, he spotted just the woman he was looking for.

Nerissa stood by his side, a broad grin on her lips as she crossed her arms over her chest, causing the white shirt she was wearing to enhance certain…attributes. The black pants and red sash she wore were very form fitting, and showed off her curves quite nicely. Her boots clung to her legs, and with the red bandana in her hair, she was the image of a female pirate. Jack swallowed hard, extremely thankful that the helm was hiding the lower half of his anatomy. Trying to put his shot nerves aside, he plastered on a smile.

"What can I do for you, luv?" he asked, leaning a bit towards her.

"Well, since I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes, I would like you to actually pay attention when I'm talking to you," Nerissa said, rolling her eyes. "Annamaria says that if you don't get downstairs soon, there won't be any lunch left for you and you'll have to fend for yourself."

Sighing, Jack waved his hand for a moment before Mr. Gibbs approached and took the helm with a slight nod of his head. Once he was sure the ship was in good hands, Jack reached over and grabbed Nerissa by the wrist and led her down to his cabin, thoroughly glad that she didn't protest his actions. Once they were in the cabin, Jack checked to be sure there was enough food for two before pulling out a chair for her to sit in. She accepted with a nod, and the two were soon eating their stew and buttered bread.

As they ate, Jack couldn't help but look over at the woman in front of him. She really was a puzzle, this noblewoman-turned-pirate. She still ate with all of the proper behavior and manners of an aristocratic woman, but the talents she displayed in sailing and fighting clearly screamed "pirate," or at least "Siren." And the pretty brown eyes that sparkled when she was amused or laughing outright…

'_Yes, I really am a man who enjoys pretty eyes_,' he thought to himself, finishing off his food and setting the empty dishes aside. '_And she's got the prettiest eyes I've ever seen_…'

Watching Nerissa set aside her own dishes, a small, admiring smile pulled at his lips. Oh, how he adored girls with pretty eyes…

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

She could sense him watching her as she put away her dishes. It would have been uncomfortable to most women, but Nerissa had grown up with both young and older men watching her whenever they came to visit whichever family member's house she was in. Suitors would always see her almond-shaped, chocolate brown eyes and slightly golden skin, and instantly find her exotic. Some thought her Spanish, but it was really her mother's Asian blood that made her look so appealing to men who had grown up seeing pale white female skin every day of their lives.

Yes, Nerissa Fox was indeed used to the stares of the male population, but whenever a certain pirate captain did it, it made her heart flutter for some reason. It would be stupid for her to fall in love with Captain Jack Sparrow, though. Her Siren relatives wanted her to marry for the sake of further strengthening the connections of the Siren population, and if that's what they wanted, that's what would happen. Others had tried to get out of such marriages without much luck; they had been forced into a wedding anyway, with little choice. If the union had turned abusive or threatening to the Siren, however, it was easily remedied with a small dose of poison or a quick little encounter with a sharp, long knife to the man's gut. Such sour endings didn't matter, though, as long at the Sirens establish the connections they wanted.

Sighing, Nerissa carefully folded the napkin she'd had in her lap and set it aside. '_But not all arranged marriages ended badly_,' she thought to herself, leaning back in her chair while staring at the napkin in front of her. '_Some turn out rather well, and evolved into loving, happy relationships_. _The matchmakers among the Sirens are remarkably good ones, and bad marriages can easily be dealt with_.'

Still, she couldn't help but feel attracted to the handsome pirate captain. Looking up at him discreetly through her eyelashes, Nerissa could clearly remember the day they had met at Elizabeth's home. She had come down the stairs to find the man staring at her, an adorable look in his kohl-lined eyes. After he'd stolen her away on the Black Pearl, she found that his eyes were even more endearing whenever he tried to plead her into doing something, such as extra chores or joining him for dinner against her better judgment. His smile wasn't half bad, either.

And speaking of smiles, he was wearing a rather suspicious-looking one right now as he stared at her from across the table.

"Penny for your thoughts, Captain," she said, giving him a small, teasing smile.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

He blinked at her and gave a rather sly smile at being caught staring at her. Jack had seen her look at him from beneath those lush brown eyelashes and had waited to be called out. He hadn't had to wait long, and that pleased him for some reason. The woman was observant, he'd give her that.

"Just thinking about treasure, luv," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Do you think this'll be an easy treasure hunt, or not?"

Nerissa shook her head, her loose brown hair swishing from side to side. "I don't think there will be much of a problem," she said, shoving her napkin away from her. "Siren hidden treasures are only difficult to find by way of actually getting the map pieces together. Some are ripped in half, with one half either given to a new Siren captain or they're told where to find that one half. After they've found the first half, they have to find the other in order to find the treasure. Some like to receive a _real_ challenge, so they'll ask for a map that's been torn into three, four, or even five pieces in order to find a treasure."

"Why would they do that?" Jack asked, thoroughly puzzled at the ideas of some people. "Treasure is treasure, right? It's all the same, isn't it?"

"Not really," Nerissa replied, smiling at his confusion, which only made him smile back at her. "The amount of the treasure depends on the number of times a map has been torn, and vice versa. They're all of good size," she assured him when his eyes narrowed at the thought of being cheated, "but the more difficult the hunt, the more we get to compensate for the troubles the Siren captain goes through."

"I see," he muttered thoughtfully. "But this one _will_ make the crew happy, won't it?"

His heart swelled when Nerissa laughed. "Oh, they'll be more than happy, Jack, I can assure you."

* * *

_Two Days Later, Author's POV_:

Their arrival off the coast of Mexico had been a much-anticipated event for the crew of the Black Pearl. There would be a slight problem in looking out for the Navy, but since the cove appeared to be small and well hidden, there really shouldn't be much of an encounter with the redcoats. However, Jack wasn't taking any chances. So, under the cover of darkness and a half moon, nearly three-quarters of the Pearl's crew rowed ashore to retrieve the treasure.

All was silent as they landed the boats on the white sandy beach, their feet swift as they headed for the jungle to find the exact location of that which they sought. Green vegetation was hacked out of their paths as Jack carefully read the map by way of a shadowed lamp. For an hour, the crew of the Black Pearl wandered until, finally, Jack stopped in front of the cave that had the Siren's insignia carved above the entryway. Smiling to himself, the pirate captain began leading the way into the cave, only to be stopped by a female hand on his shoulder.

Turning around, Jack's eyes collided with Nerissa's, one of his eyebrows raised in a silent question. She merely shook her head at him and sighed, snatching the lantern out of his hand before heading in first. Angry that she had taken charge of the situation, Jack stalked forward and stole his lamp out of her hands, causing her to turn around and glare at him.

"Two words, Jack," she whispered so quietly that no one but he could hear. "_Booby_ _traps_."

Both of his eyebrows were now raised. "And yet, somehow you managed to forget to mention the possibility of these lovely little traps, luv," he whispered back, his tone skeptical.

Nerissa gave a soft sigh. "The insignia above the door had a small flame carved next to the wave," she replied, her tone still muted. "It means that the Siren thieves of _this_ particular treasure quest were pranksters and wanted it to be much more difficult than the seeker would think." She grinned. "Which means it's also quite a bit larger than we thought it would be."

Jack's eyes lit up. "Well, then, luv," he said, his voice still soft but now full of excitement. "Please lead on!"

Nerissa shook her head and led the crew forwards in a slow and steady walk down the dark cavern and towards the treasure room of the cave. As they moved, word of mouth let each member know to not touch anything and to not rush ahead until Nerissa gave them the signal that all as right. Several men had to have the backs of their heads or hands slapped by fellow crewmembers for trying to poke the walls, but the rest managed to restrain their curiosity.

Being a Siren, Nerissa knew exactly what she was looking for. The symbol above the door stated that the treasure was quite old, and that most of the traps that had been laid out were no longer working. However, it didn't hurt to be on the safe side, which was why she was keeping a sharp eye out for anything and everything that a Siren might put in the way of others. In several places, she tapped her foot on the floor and found that the trap had indeed been worn away by time. A few presses against trigger points in the walls suggested the same thing, though she'd pushed Jack backwards to keep one trap from hitting him in the side of the head with a hundred tiny wooden needles.

After two hours of checking and re-checking, Nerissa finally led the crew into the dark, vast cavern that held heaps of treasure that put the Isla de Muerta to shame. The crew instantly tried to moved forwards, but put a hold on themselves as they remembered the warning about traps. Nerissa quickly motioned them to stay put and moved around the room on her own, checking the walls, floors, and even the heaps of treasure to be sure that it was safe for them to touch.

A few of the treasure pieces were triggers for some particularly nasty "pranks," but nothing really harmful. However, she did disable them with a few moves taught to her by the Sirens and made them all safe to remove. Satisfied with her work, Nerissa returned to the crew and gave them all a nod. They all let out a cheer before racing forward to start staking claims on particular pieces. Watching them in amusement, Nerissa turned to start picking things of her own, but was stopped by the warm, firm body of Captain Jack Sparrow. Looking up into his eyes, she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Yes?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. However, she knew what he was going to ask and beat him to it. "I knew where all the traps would be because they were taught to me by some very trustworthy and very important Siren captains. Only they would know how to look for every single trap trigger, and I learned them all and where to find them." She shrugged. "On the off chance of me missing one, the traps in here are nothing more than the types of tricks children would play on one another and are harmless. It's the ones hidden in the pathway which leads here that you should worry about in particular." Nerissa let out a small chuckle. "After all, they can't risk just _anyone_ getting in here and stealing a treasure that rightly belongs to a Siren, can they?"

Jack nodded in understanding. "Well done, luv," he said, grinning broadly. "Thanks to you, the crew will be having a great deal of fun for the next several months in whichever ports we stop at."

He gave her a pat on the shoulder before heading off to claim the best pieces for himself, as was his right.

* * *

_Later That Night: Author's POV_:

As the crew of the Pearl bunkered down for the night, Captain Jack Sparrow stared out his window at the island. It held as many secrets as the woman who slept in a cabin just down the hall from his own, and like the island, Nerissa was beautiful in both sunshine and moonlight.

It was this poetic train of thought that had Jack all up into a frenzy. He wasn't supposed to feel this way about anyone, especially not a woman. And yet, here he was, thinking about how wonderful moonlight looked reflecting in Nerissa's dark brown hair. It was unnatural and disturbing.

"Nothing like a bottle of rum to clear that up," he muttered to himself, heading for a crate near his desk.

* * *

AN: Liked it? Hated it? Please review and let me know! Thanks! 


	11. Return of the Sirens

Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: I'm going on vacation soon, and won't be back until the New Year. Therefore, there won't be any updates until then. I promise to write really fast and post when I come back, though, I swear! Also, the end is coming up! I might or might not write a sequel, since I'm sort of running low on enthusiasm for **_Pirate_** stories. I'll just have to wait and see. However, I will most likely be heading for the **_Phantom of the Opera_** section, since I can't seem to get the movie (and the extremely hot and sexy Gerard Butler/Phantom) out of my head. Keep a sharp eye out, though. You never know where I'll be next! Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 11: Return of the Sirens**:

_Nerissa's POV_:

The next day dawned bright and beautiful on the deck of the Black Pearl, though none were awake to enjoy it, except for one person. The crew had partied late into the night and early morning, and had gone to bed only a couple hours ago. The only person who _hadn't_ participated in drinking down rivers of rum and alcohol was Nerissa, who was doing the rather boring task of keeping watch from the crow's nest. Considering they were currently floating in an isolated little cove away from prying eyes, this task was a piece of cake. So, to keep herself busy, Nerissa had strapped a small rucksack to her back and hauled up a wide-rimmed hat, a book, some bread and meat, and a flask of water flavored with a hint of lemon.

As she settled down, Mr. Cotton's blue parrot joined her, perching on the edge of the nest and focusing its attention on her bread. Having a rather large soft spot for animals, Nerissa gladly shared her food with the bird, laughing at the funny noises and quotes it squawked to her. After a while, though, Parrot quieted down, tucked its head under its wing, and quickly fell asleep. Nerissa longed to join him, but she pushed that aside and resumed the task of looking out for dangers that weren't really there.

As she gazed out over the perfectly calm and blue water, she silently patted herself on the back for not drinking her weight in rum the night before. In all likelihood, she was the most (and probably only) sober person on the ship, and wouldn't suffer from a hangover, either. It was somewhat naughty of her to be smug of her sobriety, but the Sirens had taught her the value of moderation in all things, even treasure. Greedily overdoing it would only cause problems later on in life, so it was better to control herself now and not have to deal with a lot of pain and suffering later. Smirking, Nerissa secured her hat on her head and sat back to watch the sun dance on the waves.

* * *

_Hours Later: Jack's POV_: 

Getting over a hangover was child's play for Jack Sparrow. He'd been through the pain (and nausea) of it so many times that he had developed a routine on how to make it less miserable for himself. Six glasses of water and a mug of tea made from willow bark did the trick fairly quickly, so he was up and about by the time lunch was ready to be served. However, since the entire crew was currently sleeping the previous night's party away, the next two or three days meant fending for one's self, meal-wise.

After wolfing down some bread, cheese, carrots, and a mug of rum, Jack went on deck to get some fresh air and to check over the Pearl. As he gazed upwards, though, he saw his favorite female pirate perched in the crow's nest, watching the sea. It was surprising to see Nerissa up so early and doing watch duty, especially after last night's shindig, but Jack found himself admiring her sense of duty. Deciding to surprise her, he slipped up the ropes behind her, intent on catching her unawares.

The climb was quick and silent, so he was extremely happy and satisfied with the small yelp of surprise that escaped Nerissa's lips when he tapped her on the shoulder. He knew she wasn't angry, though, because after she had slapped his arm and spouted a few curse words, Nerissa smiled at him and moved over so he could join her. Gladly accepting her offer, Jack leaned his arms on the side of the basket-shaped crow's nest and glanced over at her.

"So, what could cause a lovely young lady such as yourself to leave her bed, climb up here, and keep a sharp eye out for danger?" he asked, his tone light and jesting.

Nerissa laughed. "Considering I'm probably one of the few sober people onboard the ship, it would be a good idea for me to take this task, wouldn't you say?" she replied, brown eyes sparkling in the Caribbean sunshine.

Jack grinned, letting his gold teeth flash in response to her sparkling brown orbs. "True enough, darling," he said, turning his eyes out towards the sea. "Although, I sincerely doubt that we're going to run into any trouble while we're here."

Next to him, Nerissa shrugged. "Can't be too careful, especially in this line of work."

"True, true…"

For a while, the two of them simply sat and stared out at the calm blue waves of the Caribbean, the warm air flowing like silk across their faces. Sneaking a glance out of the corner of his eye, Jack watched as loose strands of Nerissa's hair floated on the salty sea breeze. It was fascinating, watching the sun and sea making her best attributes stand out. Her hair shimmered in the sunshine and her eyes seemed to sparkle as much as the waves during a bright, cloudless day.

Jack mentally slapped himself. '_Dear gods, I'm turning into a whelp like Will_!' he thought, a groan managing to slip through his lips before he could stop it.

"Jack, are you alright?" A soft, though slightly callused, hand pressed against his forehead, as though checking for a fever.

He turned around to look into her concerned eyes. They still sparkled, and Jack couldn't keep himself from taking another nice, long look at them. Yes indeed, those soft doe-like eyes would be the death of him. Forcing a smile on his face, Jack did his best to appear nonchalant about what had just happened, although having a doting Nerissa hover over him wouldn't exactly be a bad thing…

"No worries, luv," he said, waving his left hand about. "Just a bit of my hangover still having its effect on me."

"Do you want me to get you something?" she asked, removing her hand from his face.

Jack did his best not to look disappointed at the loss of her touch. "No, I'm alright. I think I'll just stay up here and get some air," he hurriedly replied, silently hoping that she'd stay with him.

"Well, if you're sure…"

The pirate captain did his best not to sigh in relief as Nerissa made no move to leave him. Instead, she handed him a bit of cheese from a pack she had apparently brought up with her and helped herself to some as well. As the two ate, they continued to stare at the sea, watching the gulls swoop in to catch their meal. The scene was like watching a painting come to life, and both did their best to simply enjoy life and all that it had to offer. Risking another glance out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw that Nerissa's eyes were halfway closed, as though she were in a trance or falling asleep. Deciding not to take a chance, Jack reached out with his left arm and wrapped it around her waist, catching her just as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_: 

She awoke to the feeling of a soft breeze blowing into her hair. The air flowing through her loose tendrils of hair was too warm to be that coming off of the sea, but Nerissa couldn't, for the life of her, figure out where it was coming from. Deciding not to disturb her comfortable (and extremely pleasant) rest, she once again closed her eyes and tried to go back to the very nice land of dreams. However, there was someone whispering into her ear, and she couldn't discern who it was. So, instead of falling back asleep, Nerissa decided to see who was whispering into her ear.

It was then that her conscious mind finally grasped that something was definitely wrong with where she was currently resting. A pair of strong, male arms were wrapped around her and holding her close to a very warm, and likely male, body. Instead of panicking, though, Nerissa merely woke herself up and looked down to see who was holding her. A pair of heavily-ringed hands were clasped tightly around her waist, and judging from the 'P' shaped brand below a tattoo, she was being held by none other than the dashing captain of the Black Pearl. Swallowing hard, she carefully moved her head so that she could look around.

They were still in the crow's nest, but from the position of the sunlight beaming into the over-large basket, it was well into the afternoon. How long they had been up there, Nerissa had no idea, but from the slight numb feeling in her left arm, she had been lying on her left side for quite some time. Shifting her head around, she discovered that Jack had also fallen asleep, though he had a slight smile on his lips as he slept. As much as she didn't want to wake him, Nerissa shifted her position so that she was on her back, her face looking up into Jack's so that she could watch him as he dozed.

From the moment she'd first met him, Nerissa had known that Jack Sparrow was a heartbreakingly handsome man. Elizabeth had told her about the 'rum incident' on the island the two had been deserted on a year or two prior during the Barbossa adventure, and Will had told her about the three women who had slapped him in the pirate town of Tortuga. It was likely that he had at least a hundred women all around the Caribbean who he fancied or who fancied him whenever he pulled the Pearl into port for a small stay on land.

In her mind, Nerissa knew that there was no possible way that Jack would (or could) ever be attracted to a woman like her. Not that there was anything wrong with her, of course. She was attractive enough to call the attention of noblemen, and had all of the proper behaviors of a lady. It was just unlikely that the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow would ever want a woman who had been groomed and bred into high society. After all, he was a free-roaming pirate of the seas, and she was a nobleman's daughter with the education and wealth that went along with it. Their lives and upbringings were so vastly different from one another that there wasn't a chance that he could want someone like her.

'_Sort of like Romeo and Juliet_,' Nerissa thought, smiling as she watched the dashing captain wiggle his nose in his sleep. '_I highly doubt Father would approve of my falling in love with a pirate, despite my Siren upbringing_.'

And, of course, there was her Siren heritage to consider. Although she was half Siren and had been taught in their ways, there was no sure way that she could ever be with Jack. Land-living Sirens were expected to wed merchants, nobles, traders, bankers, anyone that could bring some sort of elevation in the power of the Sirens. Very few had married into the more 'dangerous' occupations, such as assassins, pirates, and mercenaries, whose services were not often needed or called upon by the Sirens.

'_Still, would it be so bad for me to marry for love_?'

Nerissa closed her eyes and chewed her bottom lip in thought. There _was_ a chance that she could persuade the Siren Council elders that she should marry for love. After all, they wouldn't want her to be miserable. If a Siren was ever unhappy with the marriage, the entire Siren nation went out of their way to get the unhappy woman out of it and find someone more suitable from the Siren community to change places with the unhappy girl. There was hope for her, after all!

She opened her eyes once more and looked at the man lying next to her. Now all she had to do was get him to feel the same way, too…

* * *

_Jack's POV_: 

The feeling of someone's finger running over his nose made him sneeze, causing Jack to wake from his very peaceful nap. He had been having such a nice dream, too, one where he and Nerissa were happily asleep next to one another and he'd had his arms around her, holding her close to him. It had seemed so real, and he was very upset about waking up from such a pleasant dream. He didn't have much of a choice about it, though, because that same finger was now running over his chest, and that just made him…uncomfortable. Cracking open an eye, Jack found himself looking into a pair of very amused brown eyes.

"Time to get up, Captain," Nerissa softly called in a sing-song voice.

Jack grunted. "Too bloody comfortable and early to get up, luv," he said, closing his eyes tightly to try and get back to sleep.

"It's nearly evening, Jack, so it's not what anyone would call 'early,'" she said, snickering slightly. "Besides, you need to let me go so that I can try and cook something eatable for the crew's dinner."

That last sentence caused Jack to come into complete wakefulness. His eyes popped open and drifted down to Nerissa's waist, where his arms had a sort of death grip on her. A slight blush suddenly found its way into his cheeks, which made him frown; Captain Jack Sparrow did _not_ blush for any reason! Still, it was a fairly intimate position, and he very much admired and respected the woman lying next to him; he did not, under any circumstances, want to destroy any chance of furthering their relationship from friendship to romantic!

Quickly releasing Nerissa, Jack sat up, the arm currently lying underneath her pulling her up as he rose. The two of them stretched and quickly made their way down to the deck, heading towards the galley to prepare a decent meal before the crew arrived.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later: Nerissa's POV_: 

The crew had fully recovered from their hangovers two days after the little nap incident Nerissa had shared with Jack in the crow's nest. After he was sure that everyone was able to function to the best of their abilities, Jack had sailed the Black Pearl out of the hidden cove and pointed it towards Tortuga, where Edward Clarence had been waiting for his share of the treasure.

After delivering the goods, the Pearl had headed out to the open sea in search of a different port to spend their swag. Jack's reason for avoiding Tortuga was based on the fact that Edward was likely to harbor a small grudge against Nerissa for a while, so the crew would be going elsewhere to spend their free time (as well as their money). Presently, they were headed towards a very small pirate port for some rest and relaxation.

'_I could certainly use it_,' Nerissa thought to herself as she lay on her bunk, staring at the ceiling.

For two weeks, she had been thinking about what had happened up in the crow's nest with Jack, unsure of how the man felt about her. Had he been holding on to her because he feared that she might somehow fall out of the nest and onto the deck or into the water? Or was he unconsciously trying to show his affection for her? She knew they were friends, and that Jack respected her for her Siren heritage and training, which had brought him some fairly good luck and swag lately.

'_But is that all that he wants from me, or does he want something more_?'

It was that thought that had her tossing and turning all night long. There was no doubt that she had fallen for the pirate captain that had stolen her from an arranged marriage. He was an arrogant man, but he had every right to be; not only was he brilliant, but he displayed behaviors that totally fooled everyone around him into thinking otherwise. Not to mention that he was good-looking, brave, and knew how to blush quite well when he was uncomfortable.

Nerissa laughed to herself. She highly doubted that any other man could look as adorable blushing as Captain Jack Sparrow could. It had been sweet to see him look a bit uncomfortable and ashamed when he had realized their situation, he with his arms around her as she slept, and it had only made her fall even further for him. Jack was a good man with a good heart…she just had to convince the Sirens of that, and see if she could possibly make Jack see her in a different light than that of a friend.

"Sail ho!" yelled several voices from above, completely interrupting her thoughts.

Jumping up from her bed, Nerissa grabbed her pistol and sword and strapped them on. If it was an enemy vessel, there was no way she was going to be caught unarmed. After she'd secured her belt, she wrapped a red bandana around her head to hold back her loose hair and raced upstairs. Once she stepped on deck, she found herself in the midst of chaos.

All around her, the crew was preparing for possible battle and confrontation. The sails were being raised and she could hear the cannons being prepared down below. Crewmembers were appearing with weapons for those who had left them below or with extras, just so everyone was more than fully armed. Walking over to the starboard side of the ship, Nerissa peeked over to see what kind of ship they were facing. If it was a Navy or heavily armed merchant ship, there would be trouble, but if it were another pirate vessel, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Pearl.

From her vantage point, she couldn't see much of the other ship, except for the fact that it was amazingly fast. She could see it catching up to the Black Pearl, although it looked as though it were using every bit of wind the sails could catch to do so. Nothing about the ship marked it as one type of ship or another, but it made her extremely nervous to see how desperate it was to catch up with them. Pulling back from the railing, Nerissa moved her way up to the helm, where Jack was standing at the wheel, a determined look in his brown eyes as he sailed.

"Jack, what's happening?" she asked, wanting to be filled in on the situation so that she could help.

"Cotton's parrot spotted a ship tailing the Pearl not too long ago, luv," he replied, fingers tightly gripping the wheel. "They're unusually focused on catching up with us. I've tried to lose them, but they must have a fantastic shipbuilder or magic powers with wind, because they're doing a first-rate job of catching up with us!"

"Could I use your spyglass to look at them?" Nerissa pressed, wanting to see who, exactly, was following them.

"Not now, luv," he ground out between gritted teeth. "You'll get a good look when they arrive!"

Sighing, Nerissa went down to help the crew prepare for the upcoming battle. Even though she didn't know if the ship was friend or foe, it was better to be prepared for the worst, especially when one was a pirate and the wrong assumption could get you killed, captured and/or hung by the Navy. The damn redcoats sometimes hired criminals to catch other criminals, so it was a good idea to have the cannons ready for when the other ship pulled up along side the Pearl.

'_And from their determination, it's likely that they will do just that_.'

Half an hour later, the other ship was only feet away from the Pearl. Nearly half of the crew had gathered on deck upon Jack's orders, and the rest were gathered down below, readying the cannons. Jack had ordered Annamaria to be at the helm as he took his place at the starboard side of the Black Pearl so that he could directly face the captain of the other ship. Nerissa had taken up a place on Jack's left so that she, too, could get a good look at their possible opponents.

From what she could see, the other ship was amazingly well-made. Only a king could order such a ship built from such fine materials, and from such a talented shipwright. Whoever owned this ship had to be of the Navy; no one else could possibly own such a ship. Had Commodore Norrington from Port Royal caught up with them? After all, he'd been after Jack for quite some time, not to mention the fact that Jack had abducted Nerissa from under said Commodore's nose.

'_No, there's no royal flag flying, so it can't be the Navy_,' she thought, chewing her lip. '_In fact, there isn't even an English flag flying, so they can't be British in any way_. _Possibly a merchant vessel from a wealthy trade family_? _No, there isn't even a flag from any nation flying from its mast_!'

So where was this ship from? Sighing, Nerissa stood and watched as the other ship pulled up along side the Pearl, its crew and captain in view for all to see. At the sight of the other ship's crew, Jack and his own crewmembers tensed up, waiting for the inevitable. The other ship was crewed by nothing but women…it was a Siren ship.

* * *

_Author's POV_: 

The crew of the Pearl reached for their weapons, but when not one shot was fired, they became puzzled. Suddenly, a white flag of truce was waved from the Siren ship, signaling that they wanted to come aboard and talk. Jack's eyes narrowed, but he nodded and waved his right arm in reply. Soon, a gangplank fell upon the railing of the Pearl and five women, all with black hair and eyes and with golden-tanned skin, stalked across to the Pearl, their faces stern and authoritative. Jack stepped back and waited for the Siren captain to say what she had come aboard the Pearl to say. To his surprise, it wasn't _that_ Siren that spoke first…

"Hello, Mother," greeted Nerissa's calm voice from his left. "What can we do for you?"

* * *

AN: Dun, dun, DUN! I love cliffhangers, don't you? _Review_! 


	12. Reunions and Seduction

Disclaimer: I succeeded in capturing Jack, but Disney stole him back, so now I don't own him.

AN: I love a good cliffhanger…they're so much fun! (Laughs evilly) Okay, seriously, though, as a holiday gift, I'm posting the final two chapters of this story before my vacation. Enjoy & review!

**Chapter 12: Reunions and Seduction**:

_Jack's POV_:

Glancing quickly between Nerissa and the stern-faced woman in front of him, Jack did his best to figure out the situation without looking confused. This was Nerissa's _mother_? Hadn't the woman died in childbirth, when Nerissa's brother was born? It didn't make any sense! And why the bloody hell didn't Nerissa look surprised to see her mother alive and well, commanding a Siren ship?

'_This is getting to be a bit much_,' he thought, frowning. Out loud, he said, "Yes, what can we do for you, Captain…?" He trailed off, leaving it open so that the Siren could fill in the space with her name.

Instead of answering, though, the Siren captain merely gave him a once-over before turning her gaze to her daughter. Her black eyes narrowed to slits, and she spouted something in a foreign language that Jack didn't understand. Her tone, though, spoke of her displeasure over something. Glancing over out of the corner of his eye at Nerissa, he saw her lower her eyes and gave her mother a bow that Jack had only seen a few Asian people give to their superiors. The act surprised him; never had he seen Nerissa submit to anyone, and here she was, willingly bending to the will of another! Opening his mouth to speak again, Jack was interrupted by Nerissa placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain Catalina of the Savage Blade, this is Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl," she introduced. "Captain Sparrow, this is Catalina Fox, captain of the Savage Blade and my mother."

Jack bit his tongue as her brown eyes pleaded for him not to ask any questions until they were safe from prying eyes. He gave small nod/bow to the Siren in front of him, who replied with a brisk nod. Nerissa then spoke to her mother in the foreign language, and was answered by one of the other four Sirens who stood behind their captain. Nerissa nodded and turned towards Jack and the crew of the Pearl.

"Captain Catalina demands to speak privately with Jack Sparrow and the members of the crew that he considers his council," she said, her voice reaching every inch of the ship, above and below. "It is a matter of utmost importance. While these talks are in progress, the Black Pearl and its crew may be assured of their safety."

Jack frowned in thought. "Gibbs, Annamaria," he called, summoning the two crewmates he trusted most. "Let us escort our guests to my quarters for this little chat."

A hand on his arm stopped him from moving, and Jack turned his head back to look at the hand's owner. "I'll be needed as well, Captain Sparrow," Nerissa said. "As a sort of…intermediary between the two parties, you understand." She jerked her head towards the five Sirens currently onboard. "And only three Sirens will be going below for the talks."

Jack nodded and led the small party into his cabin.

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

Although she appeared to be calm and collected, Nerissa was actually nervous as hell. She knew that her mother had been alive and well all this time, especially since she had seen her several times over the years during her birthday. Although Catalina appeared to be stern and cold, she really was a good woman and tried her best to be a good (though distant) mother to her only daughter.

In her heart, Nerissa felt terrible about lying to Jack and the crew about her mother's supposed 'death,' but she couldn't risk having the British Navy finding out that Catherine Fox was really Catalina, a Siren captain and pirate! After all, the woman was considered in high esteem among the female pirate band, practically a Siren queen.

As Jack, Annamaria, Gibbs, and the Sirens took their seats at the large round table in Jack's quarters, Nerissa knew that she'd have to break some more surprising news. Taking a deep breath, she seated herself between the two parties, folding her hands on the table in a businesslike manner. Both crews looked extremely on edge and extremely tense. Nerissa sighed and looked towards the Black Pearl's captain and crewmembers.

"Captain Sparrow, Mr. Gibbs, Annamaria," she said, nodding to each person as she spoke their names. "I'd like you to meet my mother, Catalina, and my two aunts, Sahara and Riana." Nerissa nodded to the women as she spoke.

Surprise flickered across Jack's face, but he quickly hid it. Instead, he nodded to the three women and leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together under his chin in thought. A few moments of silence passed before Jack made his first move.

"So what, exactly, can I do for you ladies?" he asked, glancing back at the Sirens, who still wore stony expressions.

Nerissa saw her mother's eyes narrow, and decided try and stop her before she did something regrettable. "He means no disrespect, Mother," she quickly blurted out in the language of the Sirens. "Captain Sparrow merely cares a great deal about his crew. He treats them as well as the Sirens do, and he simply wants to be sure of what it is you want from them."

"Then tell him that I demand to be treated with respect," Catalina snapped, black eyes flickering between the other pirate captain and her daughter. "He has no right to insult me in this manner."

Nerissa turned back to Jack. "My mother does not appreciate your tone of voice, Captain," she said, her eyes pleading with him to be calmer and more respectful.

Jack's face suddenly turned expressionless. "My apologies, milady," he said, nodding his head. "But I truly would like to know why you've chased down my ship."

Catalina listened to Nerissa translate as she carefully eyed her male equal. "Tell him that I simply wished to be sure that my daughter was still alive after being abducted," she declared.

Nerissa translated quickly before she sighed. "I think, perhaps, it would be better if you actually talked to him yourself, Mother," she said, quirking her eyebrow. "This meeting will take forever if you don't stop pretending to not speak English. Besides," she grinned, "I already told them how you and Papa met and were married."

Catalina's eyes flashed briefly before she nodded in acquiescence.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

"So be it," Catalina said in perfect English. Even her tone had taken on the accent of the English nobility.

Jack nearly had a heart attack. Bloody hell, now he knew where Nerissa got her shrewdness from! Taking a deep breath, Jack shifted his eyes to Nerissa, who merely winked at him in reply. Ah, so _she_ was the reason her mother decided to spring this little surprise, hmm? Well, he'd have to deal with her later. Meanwhile, he had some fast-talking to do with the Siren captain and her two crewmates.

"Well, as you can see, dear Nerissa is in perfect health and condition," he said, leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed but ready for anything that might happen. "What else can I do for you?"

The Siren captain smirked. "For one thing, I would like to take my daughter onto my ship," she said, also leaning back in her chair, crossing her legs and glaring at him.

'_Ah, so the Siren is trying to be intimidating to scare me_,' Jack thought, quirking an eyebrow.

Well, he wasn't falling for it. Besides, he had bigger fish to fry. Glancing over at Nerissa, he saw the surprise and fear in her eyes. It was obvious that she hadn't expected _that_ to be brought up during the little 'discussion' between her mother and Jack, and now that it was out in the open, he knew that leaving the Pearl was something she did not want to do. Deep inside, Jack knew that there was no way he was going to let Nerissa marry some fop who couldn't satisfy her need for adventure, excitement, and freedom. So he'd just have to take measures into his own hands.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question," he said, nearly laughing at the shocked expressions on the three Sirens' faces, as well as Nerissa's. "You see, I saved Nerissa's life, and therefore she owes a blood debt that I think would be best worked out if she were here on the Pearl." Jack flashed his golden grin. "So I'm afraid that I'll have to refuse your request."

The cabin went silent for a while before Nerissa's mother reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. "We will respect the blood debt that my daughter owes you, Captain Sparrow," she said, the angry spark in her eyes betraying the flat tone in her voice. She glanced over at her daughter and spoke something in the Siren tongue before getting up and walking out of the cabin, taking her two crewmembers with her.

Watching her mother and aunts leave the cabin, Nerissa took a deep breath before turning her attention to the cheeky pirate captain that sat oh-so nonchalantly in his chair.

"Are you mad?" she gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. "She could have killed, or have had you killed, in an instant for acting that way towards her! Do you realize what could have happened?" She pointed her finger at him to shut him up. "These aren't your normal pirates, Jack! They have friends and connections in very high places all over the world so that no matter where you go, you'd end up dead."

Taking a deep breath, Nerissa managed to calm herself down before addressing the captain once more. "My mother wishes for us to follow them to one of the islands here in the Caribbean that the Sirens control. You will need to speak with the Caribbean branch of the Siren Council, and the crew will be unharmed and treated as guests, so there is nothing to be alarmed about. It will take three days to get there."

With those words spoken, she stalked out of the cabin, muttering to herself and leaving a very surprised Jack Sparrow behind her.

* * *

_Three Days Later, Jack's POV_:

The voyage to the Sirens' hidden island was an uneventful one, even though the crew of the Black Pearl was extremely nervous about heading into Siren territory. The men (and woman) paced endlessly whenever there was nothing else to do, and many of them kept shooting uneasy glances towards the Savage Blade, which floated just up ahead of them. Meanwhile, Jack stayed his usual calm self and steered the Pearl with his captaining skills, his face intense and serene as the ship sailed right up to the docks of the Siren island called Oasis.

Although he remained calm on the surface, the captain of the Black Pearl was inwardly torn. Nerissa had been avoiding him since his meeting with her mother and had locked herself in her cabin. The only time her door opened was when Annamaria went to visit her with food, and that just made Jack's heart tear. He didn't like not being able to see Nerissa for such a long period of time, and it was driving him mad! The only thing that cheered him up was that she had to come up when they docked.

As soon as the Pearl was safely anchored at a dock in the Siren town of Oasis, Nerissa magically appeared at Jack's side, her face impassive as she gazed at the quaint little place. It wasn't so much of a town, really; it was more of a seaside village that was unusually organized and clean. Men and women alike walked the streets, and children played with no sense of fear of attack in their eyes. Jack looked towards Nerissa for an explanation.

"The Sirens only choose islands that have some sort of natural barrier or means of defense," she explained, smiling a bit. "Mostly islands that have dangerous reefs which requires a good sense of navigation to get through. It keeps our most precious treasures safe: the children."

Jack nodded his understanding and waited for Captain Catalina to give him and his crew the signal to leave the Pearl. A sound like that of a bird call was made, and Nerissa immediately began heading down the gangplank and onto the dock, the captain and crew of the Pearl following close behind.

* * *

_That Evening: Nerissa's POV_:

That evening, after the crew of the Black Pearl had been shown to comfortable lodgings in one of the town's boarding houses, they were all escorted to a large banquet hall. Catalina was there, as were several of her senior crewmembers, and there was more than enough food to satisfy everyone's needs. As they all settled down, Nerissa watched as her mother stood, a cup in her hand as though to make a toast. Everyone else raised their cups as well.

"Tonight we celebrate the safe return of one of our beloved Siren sisters," she declared, her eyes drifting towards her daughter. "We also give this feast in thanks to the men and women who brought her home to us."

They all raised their glasses and drank before eagerly digging into the food. As she ate her roasted chicken and drank her wine, Nerissa glanced across the room and noticed that Jack had hardly touched his food and was instead watching _her_. Raising an eyebrow, she saw his brown eyes flicker at her before focusing on his dinner. Shrugging, Nerissa turned back to her supper. Once the dishes were cleaned up and everyone had eaten their fill, Catalina stood up to make another announcement.

"For this evening's entertainment for our guests, we have selected our best singers and dancers to perform traditional dances from the various cultures that make up the Sirens," the female captain said, her voice reaching to the far ends of the room. "Please move towards the dance hall."

Suddenly, a plan formed in the back of Nerissa's mind. She now had a way to snap up Captain Sparrow's attention and, hopefully, his attraction.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

So far, the evening's entertainment had been…well, entertaining. In his life, Jack had never heard such a diverse variety of singing and music, as well as the dancing. From Asia to the English isles, the music had many roots, and all were from different cultures. Jack could clearly see that his crewmen were enjoying it, as was Annamaria, who managed to get the chance to talk with other pirate women from Africa and to compare stories from their lives. However, it was the dancing that kept Jack's full attention that night.

The dances involving swords, fire, and acrobatics had been interesting, but his attention was soon focused on a group of lovely ladies who came in dressed as belly dancers from Arabia. Jack immediately sat up and kept his attention on the women who wore red veils over their faces, their bodies covered in red silk and gauze, leaving their midriffs bare for all to see. Gold disks hung from their heads and their waists, chiming softly as their feet silently carried them to their positions on the dance floor.

Jack had to swallow hard at the sight. He'd heard about these types of dances, but had never seen one for himself. The women who performed such dances were said to use their bodies in seductive manners, evoking desire within a man with every move they made. It didn't help that the veils worked much the same way a lady's fan did in England: as a tool to cast secret glances over at men, asking them to come and follow the woman to a secret place where they could meet.

Again Jack swallowed as the drummer in the corner struck up a steady beat, several other instruments joining in to create a melody that was guaranteed to provoke the sense of need. The dancers spun around and struck poses as one, the gold disks wrapped around their bodies chiming as they moved. Once more the women turned, their eyes flicking out towards various men in the audience, each dancer choosing one man to be their focus during the dance.

Jack was one of the chosen, and he found himself underneath the heated gaze of a brown-eyed woman. She winked at him and he gave her a smirk in return. His dancer's eyelids lowered so that she could look up at him through her thick eyelashes, suddenly teasing with her gaze, asking him to follow her with not just his eyes, but with his body as well. Jack moved to accept her silent offer, but was held back by several pairs of hands.

Looking behind him, he saw several Sirens sitting around him in a semi-circle, all of them keeping a sharp eye on his movements. He could clearly decipher that they were there to make sure that no harm came to the dancers twirling around the wooden dance floor. A quick glance about the room made him realize that the other men picked out as targets for the dancers were also well guarded by Sirens. Sighing, Jack sat back and tried to focus on the dance without moving from his spot.

The woman who had chosen him as her focus for the dance never ceased to amaze him with her movements and her hidden beauty. Since no veil hid her hair, he saw that his dancer was brunette, the tiny gold medallions in her hair standing out and twinkling against the dark brown color. She was not tall and thin like a few of the other dancers, but was instead graced with enticing curves that enhanced her lovely, revealing red costume instead of taking away from it. Jack watched his enchanting dancer sway her hips back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm that he couldn't take his eyes off of to save his life.

From his haze, Jack could hear the women behind him laughing, their giggles of amusement somewhat pulling him back to real life as the dancers began to approach the men that they had set their sights on. He held his breath as she moved closer, her eyes only leaving his when she twirled, her red skirt flying around her in a silken red cloud before bringing her intense brown gaze back towards his eyes.

Jack swallowed hard, unsure as to how much longer he could control himself. If this got anymore intense (and if he got anymore sexually frustrated), he might just have to toss this girl over his shoulder and haul her back to the Pearl, willing or unwilling! He'd fight off every one of the Sirens around him just to get this dancer back to the Pearl and sail away with her, he wanted her that badly. And from the look in her eyes, he could tell that she wanted him, too.

For the briefest moment, a familiar glint passed through the eyes of the woman in front of him. It was then that Jack realized that he knew that look from somewhere, but couldn't remember where he had seen it. A wink from those eyes quickly diverted his attentions once more, and all thoughts of recognition flew out of his head as she twirled and dipped her hips only a foot away from where he sat. Jack's jaw dropped open as she moved closer, her face suddenly coming even with his.

'_Is she going to remove that bloody veil and kiss me_?' he wondered, his throat suddenly dry as a desert island.

If she were, he hoped that she'd do it, and do it now. He wouldn't say 'no' to such a thing. After all, what man would? Well, unless he was a eunuch, of course, which he was proud to say he wasn't. Swallowing hard, Jack realized that his mind was babbling at him, which had never happened before when encountering women. The sly, amused twinkle in the dancer's eyes told him that she knew _exactly_ what she was doing to him, and that she was enjoying the sight of watching him squirm in his seat. However, instead of letting him sit there and become frustrated, she reached out a hand and gently stroked his face with soft fingers.

Sighing, Jack took in everything he could about the touch. Her fingers were soft, but were slightly callused from work; with her being a Siren, he wasn't surprised. These women worked for a living, and he doubted that there was a true slacker amongst them. The gentle fingers drifted towards his lips and ghosted across them, like the brushings of a flower's petals or a butterfly's wings. It was the softest, most loving touch that Jack could ever remember feeling, and he wondered if this was part of the dance or not.

He opened his eyes to stare into hers. No, the emotions she was displaying through her touch were indeed real, as real as the love sparkling in her eyes. She leaned forward so that the veiled part of her face even with his, her hidden lips level with Jack's own parted ones. Before he could blink, she was kissing him through the thin silk. He could feel the warm moistness of her lips through the fabric, the material somewhat enhancing the experience instead of taking away from it.

He sighed against her mouth. '_I am most definitely in love_,' Jack thought to himself, his insides turning hot and melting from the fire that flowed through him.

And then it was over. The dancer pulled back and rejoined the others, all of whom had struck poses at the end of the dance. Once the music had stopped, Jack immediately rose from his seat and raced over to the woman who had captured his heart with a single dance. While the other dancers retreated, giggling as they slipped away, Jack removed the veil from the woman standing in front of him.

It was Nerissa, gazing up at him with flirting brown eyes.

* * *

AN: How was that for a chapter? Review to let me know how you liked Jack being the seduced instead of the seducer! 


	13. Making a Decision

Disclaimer: I had Jack Sparrow chained in my basement, until Disney came to reclaim him. Now he's no longer mine…

AN: The end is here! Yes, this is the end of the story, I'm sorry to say. However, I'm sort of glad it's over, considering that I've got another one that I'm currently co-writing with a friend. For more info, see my bio page. I might write another **_Pirate_** fic on my own, but a **_Phantom of the Opera_** story seems like fun, so I'll test out the waters there and then see what happens. Ta, mates, and I hope to see you all again soon!

**Chapter 13: Making a Decision**:

_The Next Day: Jack's POV_:

Going over the previous night in his mind, Jack tried to fully understand what had happened. Nerissa, dressed oh-so enticingly in veils and gold, had danced quite possibly the most seductive dance that he had ever witnessed, and had won him over in the time it took to drink a bottle of rum. There was no possible way for him to actually fall that madly and deeply for her, was there? After all, he was a pirate captain and pirates definitely did not fall in love like this!

'_Bootstrap did_,' quipped up a voice in the back of his head. '_Remember_? _There wasn't a passing day where he didn't talk to you about his lovely wife, or stop boasting about that boy of his_.'

Well, even if Jack was a pirate, Nerissa was at least half of one. But she was also a Siren, one that was likely to marry for the benefit of the entire Siren nation. After all, that's where she had been heading when he'd kidnapped her: to be married off to some stupid, wealthy, merchant's son who probably couldn't put his shoes on the right feet to save his life. Still, she would have been well provided for, no matter what her husband was like. Nerissa had been on her way to a comfortable life with riches and servants of which Jack didn't have the luxury. Would he even have a chance at getting her?

'_Not bloody likely_,' Jack thought to himself, walking over to the window of the quarters he had been given for his stay in Oasis. '_Nerissa's practically a princess among the Sirens; there's no way that they would let her hook up with me_.'

But considering the fact that he saved her life, it was likely that she would be able to stay aboard the Pearl until he saw fit to let her go…

'_Which would be never_,' he thought, smiling to himself.

No, letting her go was not an option. Even if the Sirens offered him a mountain of treasure or a noble title, he still wouldn't give her up. No, Nerissa was his, and he was going to keep her even if it meant going up against the entire Siren clan to do it. After all, he was Captain Jack Sparrow, and nothing was impossible…just improbable. With a good plan, however, anything was possible, despite the odds, and if there was one thing that he was good at doing, it was forming a bloody good plan!

* * *

_Nerissa's POV_:

To her immense satisfaction, the previous night's dance had been a success. Nerissa had never felt so proud of herself, and her fellow dancers had giggled with her the whole night about a certain pirate captain's reaction to her unveiling.

"It was hilarious!" cried Marie. Her green eyes had sparkled as she remembered Jack's expression.

Helena had smirked. "I taught her everything she knows," the blond had boasted, puffing up with pride at the display that Nerissa had put on.

The young brunette now sat on the balcony of the house she stayed in with her mother, Catalina. The older woman had her own home here on Oasis, in the exact center of the outpost the Siren nation kept in this part of the world. Nerissa learned that they had put her mother here because she would be easily recognized in the Old World, where the English were doing their best to concur the world through trade with the Far East. Nerissa had also learned what had happened to her after she'd left.

Before giving birth to her son, Catalina had found the pull of the sea far too strong to ignore. She still loved her husband and her daughter, but she had grown up on the sea and it would always be her home. The Fox estates were now secure with a male heir, and she knew that Nerissa would be taken care of by Robert, so there was really nothing to worry about. After the effects of childbirth had waned, Catalina and Robert had discussed what was to be told to the children. They concocted the fable of her dying in childbirth, and left it at that; Philippe and Nerissa would never know that their mother still lived.

After she had left her husband and children to return to her people, Catalina had discovered that the Siren Council had been a little upset that she had been the lone survivor of her ship's crew. Still, she had birthed a daughter of noble blood, as well as a son and heir to her aristocratic husband's wealth, both of whom had great potential at helping to increase the connections the Sirens needed. Philippe would provide wealth should the Sirens need it, and Nerissa would be able to wed for the benefit of her mother's people. And so Catalina had been given a ship and told to watch out for the Siren's interests here in the New World. It was a somewhat dangerous post, but it had to be done.

As Catalina and her daughter caught up on the years missed, Nerissa discovered that it had been her mother who had sent all of the Siren instructors to her. Knowing that her daughter would someday need the skills of the sea, Catalina had conscripted her closest friends (and even family members) to instruct her little girl in everything a female pirate would ever need to know. She had then kept track of Nerissa's progress and sent more advanced teachers accordingly. It had been one of those teachers that had told the 13-year-old Nerissa that her mother was still alive, though it wouldn't be likely that they would ever see each other again.

'_I'm glad I believed that she was alive, though_,' she thought to herself, looking out at the town. '_Despite my looking calm and collected on the Pearl, seeing Mother alive and well still scared the hell out of me_!'

It was true. Even though Nerissa had appeared calm and collected to Jack and the rest of the crew, all she had wanted to do was run up and hug the woman she had missed for her entire life before demanding an explanation. After getting one the previous night, however, she could understand what her mother had missed while living on land and abiding by the rules of the aristocracy.

'_After living through such excitement and adventure on the Pearl, how can I go back to being the obedient daughter of a nobleman_?' Nerissa thought, sighing as she stared down at the people in the street below as they went about their business. The sound of someone coughing behind her drew her eyes to the door, where her mother stood, a knowing grin on her face.

"You love it, too, don't you, my little bird?" Catalina asked, her smile turning soft and motherly. She always called her daughter 'little bird,' since Nerissa had always chased after the birds in the garden when she had been small. "I see your longing for the sea in your eyes."

Nerissa gave her mother a sad smile. "I don't think I can go back to being the way I was, Mama," she said as her mother walked over and wrapped her arms around her.

"I know, dear one," her mother replied, one hand going to caress her daughter's brown hair. "After all, the blood of the Sirens is within you. Despite being raised on land, the sea and all that it offers will always call to you, especially after you've given in to it once before." She kissed her forehead. "And no matter how hard we try, we cannot ignore it, despite all that we do."

Nerissa sighed and snuggled deeper into her mother's embrace. She had sorely missed her mother's comforting arms and warm hugs, the ones that always made everything all right again. It made her feel safe, as though nothing could harm her while she was there. After a while, though, the hug ended, and the two pulled back, Catalina brushing her fingers against her daughter's face.

"Come, I have a proposition that I would like to make to your captain, but I would like your opinion on it first," she said, waving Nerissa towards the door.

The young woman nodded and quickly followed her mother out the door.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:

Pacing back and forth in his room, Jack felt as though he would go mad from being cooped up inside for so long. He and the entire crew had been assigned to a boarding house for their stay, but were told not to leave it for any reason without an escort. They were allowed anywhere within the boarding house, just not outside of it. If anyone of the Pearl's crewmembers went anywhere outside, they were followed around or were escorted back to the building by a Siren.

'_Apparently they don't trust us_,' he thought, heading to the downstairs dining room to get something to eat.

In a boarding house where the food and drink extremely plentiful, most of the crew didn't seem to mind being stuck inside. Mr. Gibbs had taken full advantage of the rum and other alcoholic beverages provided, and fresh hot and cold food was brought out as soon as it appeared that someone was hungry, so there really was nothing to complain about. Even the furniture was comfortable, being worn from much use and in good condition.

'_A gilded cage is still a cage, though_,' Jack thought as he helped himself to a bottle of rum and a slab of cold chicken.

He desperately needed his freedom and the sea, and sitting around this town, waiting for the Sirens to let them all go was making Jack a tad bit antsy. He wanted the sea all around him and the wind in his face as he steered the Pearl to who-knows-where. Sitting around was good for a little while, but doing it for too long tended to dull the senses, and Jack really needed his crew at their best when they sailed away from here. There was little he could do, however, considering the circumstances, so he just let them do as they pleased, though they did manage to do it with _some_ restraint.

After he had finished his snack, Jack spotted Nerissa walking through the front doors and to his table. Her hair was loose, and she was dressed in a dark red long-sleeved shirt and black leggings, black leather boots heavily hitting the floor as she walked towards him. Several of the crewmen gave her friendly smiles, which she happily returned. Finally she managed to make her way to Jack, who sat up in his chair and motioned for her to join him at the table. Nerissa gave him a pleased smile and did so, reclining in the chair as her brown eyes met his.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," she addressed him, respect in her tone. "Your presence is required tomorrow afternoon at the southern beach by Captain Catalina Fox and her sisters. It is a matter of utmost importance, and you are required to attend." Nerissa winked at him before briefly casting her eyes around the room. "You are also allowed to bring with you two or three members of your crew, if you desire."

'_I desire a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get them_,' he thought, watching her brush aside a lock of her hair. Out loud, he said, "I'd be honored to meet your mum and aunts, though you've never explained to me that you had other female family members."

Nerissa smiled. "My mother is the eldest of six children, and the only one to get a ship of her own," she explained. "The others were all scattered to whatever ship would accept them until my mother received the Savage Blade. Since she needed crewmembers, she gathered all of her sisters together and brought them onboard with her."

Jack nodded. "Makes sense," he said, drinking from his bottle of rum before setting it down. "Now, why does your loving mother want me to meet her?"

"Apparently she's not happy with the fact that I owe you a life-debt," Nerissa said, accepting a bottle of rum from Annamaria, who slid into a seat at the table next to her and Jack. "She wants to offer you something that you would likely want more. A trade, if you will."

Jack's eyebrows quirked. "She wants to trade something so that I'll call off the debt you owe me?" he asked in disbelief.

"She just doesn't want me owing you anything," she said, smiling at his expression. "Mother probably thinks that she's relieving both of us of a burden, one that will hang over your head and mine until I save your life or something equally important happens."

"What's she going to offer up in trade?" Annamaria asked, tapping a finger on the table.

"Probably the usual," Nerissa said, shrugging her shoulders. "Gold, jewels, a map to some sort of large treasure or another, or quite possibly anything that is worth a great deal."

'_It'll never happen_,' Jack thought to himself as he thought over what Nerissa had just said.

There was no way he was going to trade Nerissa for something like gold or riches; she was worth too much for that. And he could smell a plot being hatched a mile away, and there was definitely something going on here with Captain Catalina and her crew. Did they seriously expect him to be that petty, to give up Nerissa for the price of gold?

'_It certainly can't be that simple_.' Jack glanced towards the object of his thoughts, who was currently engaging Annamaria in an animated talk about some sort of female thing or another.

No, the Sirens were up to something. It was possible that the Sirens thought him greedy enough to let Nerissa go for a price that was a mere trifle to them, and then marry her off to the first noble or wealthy idiot that came along to claim her, just for their benefit. As long as the man had connections that were more valuable than the price they had paid to get Nerissa away from Jack, then they would certainly press her into an arranged marriage.

He heard Nerissa laugh at something Annamaria said and he smiled. There was no way Jack was going to let that happen to her. Nerissa was so friendly and carefree when she was talking, joking, laughing, and playing cards with him and the crew. She was also happy while she worked and did her chores on the Pearl, acting as though they were the most fun she'd ever had in her life. To let the Sirens take that away from her was an injustice that Jack Sparrow would _not_ allow to happen…no matter what the cost.

* * *

_The Next Afternoon, Jack's POV_:

Jack was not looking forward to this meeting that he was required to attend. Mostly it was because he was on Siren land, playing by their rules, and had to likely weave around one of their offers to get Nerissa away from him. Throughout the entire night, Jack had wracked his brain for a way to win this one. Finally, just as the sun crept up the horizon, he realized that, given that this was a deal created by the Sirens, he'd have to make the second move, and make it a good one.

'_Patience_,' he thought, chewing his lip as he made for the beach.

Gibbs, Annamaria, and Cotton (complete with parrot) all trailed behind him as he walked along the southern part of the island, the sand crunching softly beneath his boots. It was a lovely day, with clear blue skies and the Caribbean sun shining brightly, but Jack noticed none of it. His mind was too busily focusing on the group of women gathered before him.

There were five of them, one of whom was a stranger; the other four were Nerissa and her mother, and the two aunts that been in his cabin only a week or so earlier. The other woman could only have been Nerissa's aunt, for she bore a remarkable resemblance to Catalina. The three women nodded their heads as Jack stopped in front of the Siren captain and her daughter, who slipped a sly smile at him. Jack could only give her a slight nod in acknowledgement before Catalina began to speak.

"The Sirens wish to make a trade with you, Captain Sparrow," she said, her tone formal and serious. "My daughter currently owes you a life debt which she has yet to repay. Therefore, it falls upon myself and my blood sisters, Neva, Sahara, and Riana to make a proposition so that the debt may be repaid and my daughter allowed to go on with her life. Are you willing to hear what we have to offer?"

Jack could see his crewmen (and woman) stiffen, but he nodded. After all, there was no harm in at least seeing what their offer was, and he could always refuse it or plot around it somehow. Nerissa drew a large circle the group in the sand. Then she, along with her aunts, all moved so that a large chest that they had hidden behind them became visible. Catalina then lifted the lid and handed several objects out to her sisters, all of whom turned to face Jack and his crew. It was Catalina who spoke once more.

"Each of my family members holds something that could be of great value to you," she said, her black eyes drilling into his. "Neva holds a scroll that will give you a few tactical advantage over the Sirens, for they are our own and will allow you to slip away from us unharmed." The first woman bowed and showed him the roll of paper.

"Sahara holds a representation of the weapons we would give you, things such as the finest swords, pistols, and cannons, as well as a new outfitting for your ship." The second sister bowed and showed him a small knife that looked both lovely and deadly.

"Riana holds a listing of merchant families and their most valuable ships that the Sirens would allow you to plunder at will." The last sister bowed and showed him a sheaf of paper.

Catalina turned towards Jack and his three crewmembers. "Finally, if these are of no value to you…"

She turned and nodded towards her daughter, who walked towards the chest and motioned Jack over to see what was inside. Taking a peek, Jack saw that there was a large pile of gold, gemstones, and jewelry covering the bottom of the chest. Looking up into her eyes, Jack saw Nerissa give him a small sad smile before motioning him to step back.

"You must realize, Captain Sparrow, that by agreeing to meet here with us, you are required to choose one of these things within the large circle," Catalina said, crossing her arms over her chest to effectively stubbornly prevent any and all protests the Pearl's crew and captain had.

Jack sighed and nodded. "Very well," he said, straightening up. "I'll choose what I want right now."

He walked up to the treasure chest and slammed it shut with his foot. He then shoved it out of the way with the heel of his boot and grabbed Nerissa around the waist, pulling her flush against him. She gave him a puzzled and shocked look right before his lips descended on hers, enveloping her in the most loving kiss that he had ever given a woman. When their air had run dry, Jack pulled back and turned to face the other Sirens and his crew.

"I choose to keep her on my ship," he said, holding Nerissa against his side.

* * *

_A Month Later, Author's POV_:

As the Black Pearl drifted in the vastness of the Caribbean, Nerissa leaned on the port side of the ship and stared at the sea. She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look that everyone still wore on their faces. They likely wore it because, after Jack had chosen to keep Nerissa, Catalina and her sisters had hauled them all up to town, where it was announced that Jack would wed Nerissa _at once_. Within the hour, all of the women on the island were involved in making this wedding one to remember.

Five days later, Nerissa had walked down a red-carpeted aisle, dressed in a white silk gown with white pearls and crystals sewn onto the bodice, and a white veil. Jack had donned an entirely black ensemble that made him look as dashing as ever. Catalina herself had conducted the ceremony on the beach, with the entire Siren town, as well as Jack's crew, as witnesses. When the bride and groom had kissed, fireworks had gone off, both over their heads and inside their hearts.

'_And now here we are, off to see the world as pirates do_,' she thought, smiling as she felt Jack's strong arms wrap around her waist. He had been amazingly attentive since the wedding.

"The cold night air can't be good for ye, luv," he whispered as he fingered the pearl-and-diamond wedding ring on her finger, his own gold band sparkling as he did so. "Care to come to bed?"

"That sounds like a lovely idea, Captain," she said, giving him a quick kiss. As she turned to leave, Nerissa glanced over her shoulder and watched as a star streaked across the sky. She quickly made a wish before following him down below.

As she happily joined Jack under the covers of the bed and snuggled against his shoulder, Nerissa thought about the wish she had made. She could almost hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet as a little Siren or Sparrow ran across the deck, calling out for their mum and dad to play with them…

Be careful what you wish for…

* * *

AN: I'm tempted to write a sequel for this fic in the future, but I'm not sure anyone will read it. However, the Phantom calls, and I must answer. Maybe sometime after that…anyway, please review and let me know how you liked the ending! Love and lots of Jack Sparrow dreams to you all! 


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